Konoha's Twin Orphans
by Electrified by Evil
Summary: What would happen if Hinata's parents decided they didn't want her? What if she was put in the same orphanage as Naruto? What if an ANBU member thought himself as a secret keeper for the pair? What if they really lived? No pairings yet. StrongNaruandHina
1. And so it begins

A little girl, just born, was resting quietly in a soft pink blanket. She was in a crib, with no other items around her. She was a very quiet baby, with the whitest eyes and deep purple hair.

In the room next to hers, a meeting of the clan was in session. They were arguing over the baby's gender. They were split in two, half of the elders wanting to keep her, half not. The clan head, eyes hard, made the final decision.

She would be an orphan.

--

Across town, the old Hokage was setting another child up in a crib in an orphanage. The one he was giving the small boy to was the only one that didn't hate him for what he contained inside him. He trusted them. Of course, an ANBU member would be watching over him at all times, but still.

Sarutobi gave a small smile and left.

--

The Hyuuga clan head entered the same orphanage only two days later. He signed off papers and handed her over without a word. He didn't even say what her name was.

She didn't have one.

--

Time-skip: four years

--

A blue eyed boy gazed across the yard, watching for his only friend. She had gotten a cut when they were playing and he had been scolded. And a scolding for him meant a beating. He didn't cry, but only because it had happened so often that he didn't notice the pain anymore.

He wanted his friend to be okay, though, because they were leaving that night. The owner of the orphanage had died two years ago, and a mean one had replaced her. Hinata and he were treated poorly, but they didn't know why.

They were going to leave and make themselves a new home.

--

Hinata ran out only a little later, joining her blond friend under the shade of the tree. No one ever bothered them, but only because the owner told them to stay away from the 'monster and his friend'. Hinata, only four, didn't get why they were being avoided, but she actually didn't mind. She just wished that Naruto was happier. He was her best friend.

"Are we still…tonight?" She asked quietly, her tongue tripping on some of the words between.

Naruto just nodded.

"Yeah, Hina-chan. Yeah."

--

Indeed they left. Naruto snuck out of his room to get Hinata from hers. They were the only two to have their own rooms. Hinata wanted to share Naruto's room so that their plan could have gone easier, but the mean lady wouldn't let her. So now, while Naruto found Hinata, the purple-haired girl was finding things to take with them. She had found an old backpack and they decided to take some food and some blankets with them so they wouldn't starve. They were thinking of living in the woods.

Hinata stuffed three blankets in the bag, adding packages of food and water in with them. She did think to bring some bandages and medical things, the most basic and needed ones in case she got hurt. Naruto was always better faster, so he never needed to be patched up.

Naruto found her crying quietly. He comforted her for a minute before picking up the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He held her hand while they ran off into the night.

--

Halfway into the forest, Naruto let Hinata rest. They still had further to go, but they tired easily. He set down their things and watched over Hinata as she took a light nap.

Suddenly a ninja with an ANBU mask was in front of Naruto. Hinata slumbered on.

"Inu?" Naruto whispered, using the name of the friendly ANBU member that watched over him.

"Hai. Naru-chan, why are you and Hina-chan out here? Are you running away?"

Naruto heard the kindness in the mans words. He knew it was a man because he didn't have a large chest.

"Hina-chan and I are finding a better home." He stated firmly. "I can't stand to see Hinata-chan get hurt or feeling sad at the place where we were."

Inu nodded, his proclain mask hiding his sad smile.

"Tell you what. If you let me, I'll take you to a better place. I know of one. But you can't tell anyone that you're there. Okay?"

"Where is this place?" Naruto asked, curious to where his guardian would take them.

"Let me show you"

"…Okay."

Inu grabbed their bag and picked up Hinata very carefully like a baby. She didn't stir. He motioned for Naruto to get on his back and crouched down. Naruto climbed on and Ino made sure he would hold on tight before leaping through the trees, heading back towards the village.

--

Naruto lasted about halfway there. Then he fell asleep. Ino had to hold onto him like Hinata in the other arm. He was glad it was midnight, as no one but ANBU would be out and about now. He leapt off the roof he was on and landed silently in front of an abandoned house. It was really a whole bunch of small apartments, but Naruto and Hinata would be at home here. They could be free of torment. And Inu had a way to get here, and he and he alone knew they were here.

Smiling, he found a level where the floor wasn't too beat up. He set Naruto and Hinata down on the large bed he had had a shadow clone drag up here, covering them with one of their blankets. He set their bag down next to the bed and wrote an easy to read note. He told them how to key would work, even though no one should bother them. He also wrote that they just had to make a certain hand sign and he would be there if they needed him. He even drew a little picture of what it looked like.

And then he left them to sleep.

--

Time-skip: two years

--

Naruto yawned and stretched, gazing around the room he was in. He and his friend had lived here for two years now, with Inu looking after them when they called for him. They had to use that hand sign more than once; some of the floorboards on other levels were poor and Naruto had the chance to fall through more than one. He had to get Inu to help him back up so that they could patch it up later. They had made a deal with Inu a year ago. If he brought them supplies to fix their house up, along with teaching them how to fix it, they would watch over his dog summons whenever he wanted them to. He knew that his summons didn't need constant attention, but it was something for them to do.

Already they could read and write, Hinata learning how to by herself. She taught Naruto not long after.

--

Hinata stumbled into a random building, trying to get rid of her attackers. Her cheek was already bleeding, and she knew that Inu was watching over Naruto, not her. She lifted her gaze to see rows and rows of books and scrolls. Her eyes went wide at this new information before her arm was caught. She tried to hit the man dragging her back, but he was too strong.

And then she was on the carpet, curled up in a ball. The men who were after her were gone. She peeked out the open door just in time to see a flash of silver hair and a dog mask. She smiled and looked further down. Three men were running away, with two lying on the ground, unconscious. In another second, the three runners got cut down, blood dripping from their arms and legs.

She was safe.

--

"Naruto! Naruto!" she called as she slid in through the door, locking it behind her and stuffing the key and it's chain down her shirt, out of sight.

A blond head poked out from a room not too far down.

"Yes?"

"I found books!"

--

Later that week, Hinata brought Naruto to the place. It was called the 'library'. She smiled at the kind woman at the desk before going to a section. Naruto's eyes were wide and he was gazing around at the knowledge like it was candy.

"And the best part is," she whispered, "we can check as many as we want out! We have to give them back, but they're ours for now!"

Naruto grinned and pulled a random book down, remembering the spot so he could return it right away.

"I want to learn how to be a ninja, like Inu"

"Yeah! Me too!"

"Shhhhhhhhh!"

"Sorry" came the twin whispers.

--

Naruto picked out three books and two scrolls on basic ninja things. Hinata took five books on the history of Konoha and math and sciences. They would read them and learn how to be a ninja, just like Inu, their older friend.

--

Time-skip: three years

--

At nine-years old, the two friends made an odd pair. In public, Hinata was content to look shy and quiet. Naruto was loud and clumsy. In reality, Hinata was the bold one, while Naruto was quiet. Both of them had greater speed than most nine-year olds, and they were as fit as Inu was.

Naruto and Hinata pretended not to know each other in public, and when they saw each other Hinata pretended to have a shy crush on him. She knew that they really might date someday, but at this point they were just really close friends.

Naruto always went on and on about becoming Hokage, when in their minds Hinata was the one that wanted to keep watch over everyone. In her world, no one would ever get hurt.

She wanted to be Hokage so that no child would be lonely. No child would get hurt for being innocent. No one would be alone.

--

Inu had given the pair sets of weights, because they had told him about their goals and he had complied with their wishes and begun to train them when he had time. They fixed up a whole level to be like a dojo, and they ran around, had sword fights, Taijutsu was learned and they used the walls to work on chakra control. Much of training was found in books and scrolls, since Inu wasn't supposed to do anything but help Naruto when he was getting beat up.

Inu had gotten closer to them and took care of Naruto before he got beat up more and more, and Naruto always thanked him by showing him how much better he'd gotten when he called him over, showing him that someday they young pair could fight for themselves one day.

--

Eventually Hinata and Naruto had amazing chakra control. Well, Hinata did. Naruto was still working on it, but he was getting better everyday. They worked hard at what they did, and they used it for many ways. Naruto got much faster than Hinata when he was running (with weights) from the ANBU chasing him after a prank. Hinata's Taijutsu was much better, but Naruto could hide better.

Neither of them could use a sword very well, but they kept trying; they had to be perfect in everything to be a good Hokage. Sometimes they would try to goad Inu into practicing with them, but even when he toned it down as much as he could he still throttled them with his skills.

--

Hinata was reading over a scroll that Inu had left them after they pleaded for his help. She was fascinated with some of the Jutsus in it; they all had potential! She flipped onto her feet and ran to find Naruto. She might have found a solution to one of their problems.

--

"Naruto-kun! Look at this!"

"What is it? Oh man, bushins? I can't do those…"

Hinata smiled lightly.

"I know. But these ones take more chakra, and it's easier for you to use more chakra, right? Maybe you can get this bushin down!"

"I guess I can try…"

Hinata watched as he read over the scroll and then made the correct handseal. She tilted her head and watched for a few minutes before leaving. He was intent on learning some form of clone.

--

Hinata slipped into her henge after jumping onto the rooftops. She had made herself look like a random ninja with brown pigtailed hair and black clothes. When she went to the library, the shinobi section only permitted ninjas, and she could get in only with her Henge.

Now it was time to find some more Jutsus. She and Naruto were going to the academy next year, with herself henging into parents for the two of them so they could get in. Naruto would make shadow clones for them so that they didn't even need to be there; they could be pulling a prank!

* * *

**Sorry it's so short!**

**Anyways, this is one of the new ideas I had. Wonder what they'll know and what will happen!**

**Enjoy, as I'll be updating this one and The UB every other day or just about once or twice a week. It depends on when I get time to work on them.**

**PS timeskips for the win!**

**PPS do YOU know who Inu is??  
**


	2. Can they do it? YES THEY CAN

Hinata made sure that the two of them were enrolled before summer ended. She didn't know what her last name was, so she enrolled herself under a false name. "Hana Uzumaki" was Naruto's sister, with the same blond hair, goofy smile, and poor work ethic.

She had to wear a Henge all day, but since the two of them mastered the three basic Jutsus, they could go all day without even thinking about keeping a henge up. Naruto liked Shadow Clones better, but Hinata didn't have the reserves for them, so she stuck with the normal Bushins. Her henges were better anyways.

--

Their first day was so uneventful that Hinata wondered if they made the right choice in going to the academy. They learned about a few other people, what their hobbies, likes, dislikes, and dreams were. Hinata made things up, of course, to fit in with the other girls. She hoped that she could learn some things from them; if they knew anything, of course.

So far they didn't. All they wanted to talk about was 'Sasuke-kun this' and 'Sasuke-kun that'. She was so annoyed by it all. Sure, they boy was very handsome, but other than that he had nothing going for him. He was quiet, never smiled, never talked to anyone, never said a word to his fans. Hinata was sick of so many stupid girls talking about him she slapped a few that day. That was just about all the excitement.

Naruto and Hinata agreed to pull a prank a day or more. It would help with their skills and make time for some fun. The entire day, though, she felt like someone was watching her. Naruto didn't know what she was talking about, and he always knew if someone was watching them. Hinata knew it wasn't Inu, since he had long since moved in with them. He was more of a parent than anything. He still didn't take off his ANBU mask, though, so they could only call him 'Inu'.

--

The second day at the academy 'Hana' and Naruto managed to lock up all of the teachers for three hours before they got in trouble. The Hokage managed to get Naruto into his office for punishment, but no one could find Hana.

--

The tenth day at the academy, Hana was out sick. Naruto managed to flood the entire room. He never got in trouble for it, even though he was brought to the Hokage's office.

--

The thirtieth day, Hinata planned her own prank, separate from Naruto's daily laugh. It took some time and convincing, but she managed to get all of the students (other than Sasuke) to dress exactly like Sasuke. No one could tell who was who for the whole day, since many wore wigs or cut and dyed their hair a raven color.

--

On the last day of their first year, Naruto and Hinata pulled off not one large prank, but many little ones leading up to the big one. They painted people, turned in false papers, henged into random things, spammed with rooms with clones, fed people cookies with laxatives, and exploded a toilet. The final part was to paint the Hokage Monument.

--

The next day, the Hokage brought Naruto to the ramen stand. He discussed many random things while dishing out cash to pay for more and more ramen. Naruto looked innocent, but he was trying to figure out what the old man wanted. He was just lucky that the Hokage didn't ask admittance into his house, since Hinata was still working on new outfits.

"Naruto, why do you and your…sister pull so many pranks?"

Naruto didn't miss the stress on the word 'sister' and tried to play cool.

"What do you mean? I don't have a sister."

The Hokage seemed to latch onto this, and immediately Naruto felt he said too much already.

"Then why did a girl named Hana sign up for the academy under your last name?"

"Another miso-ramen, please!" Naruto slammed his hand down on the counter and the Hokage was forced to supply more money for it.

"Sorry, what did you ask?" Naruto smiled sweetly.

--

"And then he asked about you…"

Hinata didn't look up.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth."

Now Hinata blinked and looked up, her normally calm eyes angry.

"What the hell, Naruto? Why??"

"Look, I told him the truth, but a different truth. I told him that I don't have a sister in blood but in spirit, and that you wanted to go to the academy. He accepted it when I told him that you were from an orphanage."

Hinata calmed down, but she still looked doubtful.

"But since we're still technically citizens, we can be 'checked in on' by the Hokage himself and we can't do anything about it…" Hinata mused. "He'll know that I'm in a henge right away. I know it."

Naruto grinned.

"Well then, why don't we become ninja??"

Hinata's face lit up as well. "Yeah!! We can pass the Genin test and then find another Genin to form a team with! Maybe Inu will even be our sensei, if we can get him to!"

"I like that idea! Let's do it!"

--

For the entire break from the academy, Naruto and Hinata doubled their training. Hinata got them more and more training material and they used shadow clones to train. Hinata, having almost no chakra compared to Naruto, had a harder time with them. Since they practiced chakra control, though, her chakra reserves had shot up to five times the small amount she had before. Since she had learned to control it when she barely had any chakra, her control was almost perfect.

Naruto, on the other hand, had a harder time with chakra control. He had to churn out hundreds and thousands of shadow clones to train with other things before he could work on control. Then, when he had only a tiny amount of chakra left, ran up and down trees. When he mastered that, he walked on water. After that he combined the two, adding leaf floating and rock dodging.

--

At the beginning of the new school year, Naruto and 'Hana' requested to take the Genin exam. In front of the entire class.

"You two? Take the test? Hahaha!"

"Dobes!"

"Idiots, you won't even make the first sentence of it!"

Hana just shrugged.

"Then it won't matter if we take it, right?"

They had the teachers there, so they ushered them into a separate room and started to give them the test. Iruka helped with it, since he wanted to see what Naruto could do. He put in a sub for his class and joined in, watching Naruto and his 'sister' and making marks on his paper.

--

"Okay, the first part of the test it Taijutsu." Iruka commented.

Naruto and Hana's eyes lit up, and he wondered if they had planned something for this test; but no, they looked serious.

"Okay, come at me like you're sparring a class mate. You have to get three hits on me before I can get three on you."

Naruto stepped up first.

"Go!" Hana shouted, making Iruka dance forward to hit Naruto on the head. Naruto, however, ducked to the side and ran around Iruka's legs to hit him squarly on the back, his hand straight.

Iruka blinked and picked himself up. _When did Naruto get this fast? He's only eleven!_

Before he knew it, Naruto had leapt over Iruka's head and tapped him with two fingers, eyes sparkling. Iruka grinned and watched as Hana put up one more finger for Naruto's points.

"I'm not going to go easy on you now, alright Naruto?"

"Stop talking and get to it!" Naruto stated with a cheeky smile.

Iruka waited until the blond rushed in, managing to get one hit to the stomach with two fingers. Naruto leaned over and let out a weeze, and Iruka made a move to help him. Naruto held out a hand, motioning for a second.

Iruka was hit from behind on the back of the leg, forced down into a kneeling position as Naruto used surprising speed to bolt around his teacher. Iruka let out a sigh.

"Alright. You passed this part of the test."

Naruto cheered and Hana switched placed with him, standing on the edge of the mat.

"Ready?"

Hana shrugged. "Sure."

Not wanting to start, Iruka just stood there. Hana seemed to do the same, but once Iruka shifted slightly to get more comfortable, Hana ran in. She used two fingers to poke Iruka's stomach, missing only when he flew backwards. Iruka grinned at her frustrated look and lowered his arms a little, expecting her to get a little worse, blinded by anger.

Instead, she got better. With her anger focused on herself for missing the first shot, she lunged around and under his legs to hit the inside of his right thigh. He blushed and fought to think of what to do next. Instinct carried him through to pin her down, but she slipped away without getting tapped.

Hana again slipped in his defenses, poking the middle of his chest now. It made the teacher flustered and slow, and she managed to get him once more on the butt when he turned too far to the left. The poor teacher was flushed and sweating, eyes darting around for the little girl. She stood off to Naruto's side, grinning at him.

"Hana….you pass this part..." Iruka mumbled, still embarrassed that her tactic worked.

"YATTA!"

--

The next portion of the test was weapons. Hana and Naruto had to hit ten targets; five moving and five nonmoving. They could use kunai or throwing stars.

Hana chose both, but Naruto like kunai better.

Hana hit eight out of ten, with the other two missing the center by an inch. Naruto hit the center of his each time.

--

Iruka knew that there was only one part of the test left, but he wanted them to think there was more. He didn't want Naruto to go out unprepared, so he added a fourth part of the Genin test.

"Hide-and-seek!"

--

It sounded funnier than it actually was. Iruka had the two of them hide in the forest that they had near the school's training ground. Since Naruto and Hana both wore orange and the forest was small, Iruka figured that it would be easy to find them.

It wasn't.

--

"Okay, fine! You both pass this part of the test!" Iruka shouted, nearly pulling his hair out from frustration.

Hana and Naruto appeared in front of him, grinning. Iruka's mouth dropped open and he stared, wondering if they were following him the whole time.

"How…how did you do that? I couldn't even feel your chakra…"

"I told you we're ready for the exam" Naruto simply said.

--

Iruka sat down in his chair, mentally finished with today. The last part of the Genin test was to make three Bushin. He gave a weary smile and nodded for Naruto to go. He didn't even bother making a handseal, which Iruka found amazing. Ten Bushin appeared around Naruto, holding him up like he was royalty. The scarred man laughed and nodded.

"Congratulations, Naruto. You are now a Genin."

Cheers were heard from eleven Naruto's.

"Hana? You're turn."

"Alright."

Again, he didn't see any handseals. For an instant he saw twenty clones, and then he found himself switched and he was standing in a circle of short girls. When he stumbled he fell right through them, and he looked up from the floor he saw himself sitting at his desk. Confusion flitted across his face for an instant, and then he groaned. He should have known that it was a small prank.

Iruka was offered a hand by one of the Naruto clones and he took it, forgetting that you couldn't touch a Bushin. But his hand stuck and he was pulled fluidly off the floor. He nodded at the shadow clone, awed beyond words. Hana had already tied her headband around her neck, and Naruto had just caught his; Hana having tossed it to him, of course. He tied it firmly around his neck with a content sigh.

--

Iruka wrote little notes in the corner of the paper before filing it in his drawer to be sent to the Hokage. He didn't pay any attention to the kids behind him, listening to Naruto.

"Yep! We passed all right!" Naruto said proudly.

"Yeah right, you couldn't pass that test!"

"Idiot. You just want the attention."

"If Sasuke-kun couldn't pass the test, you couldn't!"

"Loser!"

Hana stood beside him, gazing at him with sad eyes. He didn't deserve any of those words. Pulling pranks and acting like and idiot was just a mask, and these kids were trying to tear it down. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned to walk out of the room.

Right after they left, it went quiet. Then a small, "Iruka-sensei, did they both pass?"

Iruka was startled by the question but nodded. "They did."

It went dead silent again, as no one could believe that they could pass, being pranksters and acting out.

Because it was still quiet, a moment later they heard a loud and distant, "I'M GOING TO BE THE NEXT HOKAGE! BELIEVE IT!"

Iruka grinned as he shook his head. Naruto was such a wild card.

--

When Naruto and Hinata got back home, Hinata started lunch. She didn't even have to ask what he wanted, since he always asked for ramen. And she always made it.

"Remember our deal- I'll make you three servings only if you eat all the vegetables I add to it" Hinata called, knowing Naruto was looking over their outfits. When they passed the Genin exam, they figured they needed to use the clothes they had been working on for awhile. They didn't have much money, but they managed to get scraps of stuff and sew it together when it was clean.

Naruto just nodded, even though she couldn't see it. He loved ramen so much that he didn't mind eating a few veggies if it meant more ramen.

"Are these finished yet?"

"They will be after lunch. I just need to put our clan symbol on them and we can wear them when we ask Inu to train us like a real sensei."

Naruto was quiet again, but his heart felt warmer in his chest; it made him happy when Hinata referred to them as siblings.

--

True to his word, Naruto ate all of the food set in front of him. Hinata watched him with a fondness in her eyes, and after lunch they set to work sewing their symbol on the arm.

And then they were finished, and they hurriedly changed into them, not caring that they were in the same room. They were too excited to be wearing a new outfit that they just whipped them on.

"I like it" Naruto murmured. "It's soft, yet durable. I can't even feel the stitches down the legs."

"Mhmm….I took extra care to do the legs of the pants because I didn't want them to rub when we're on an important mission."

"They're good"

Hinata and Naruto admired their own for a moment, and then went to admire each others.

Naruto wore blue ninja pants with two sets of bandages wrapped around his legs; one around his right thigh and the other around his left lower leg. He had only one kunai pouch; right on his lower leg. His small, thick belt held his sword and a small canteen. A small storage container was hanging from the left side of the belt, about the size of a small scroll. It contained a roll of paper and a small ink pen. His shirt was a very light orange with the spiral on his right sleeve.

Hinata wore pale purple pants that fit close to her body. Some of the color was darker in some areas, but that was because she couldn't find exact colors sometimes. Her shirt was a plain black tee with fishnet arms. The spiral was on the bottom right of her shirt in the front; the color of the symbol was orange. Her small and light belt held her sword and a few small pouches for medicine and kunai. She didn't keep paper on her, but she did have some exploding seals in her butt pouch. Her purple hair was long but tied up at the base of her neck, with only a few pieces of her bangs framing the side of her face.

"Yes, they are good."

* * *

Sorry it's late. I wanted this out earlier, but I had an archery tournament. I was so tired that I shot poorly. If you understand what this means, I got a score of 541//600.

Also, sorry it's short. I wanted it longer, even though its about 200 words or so longer than the first chapter. I wanted more, because a lot of this chapter was talking. Whooo talking?

Again; does anyone know who 'Inu' is? I will give anyone who gets it a hug. I think I used him in another story, too. xD His codename, I mean.


	3. What's this? Hinata strips down?

When Hinata woke up the next day, Naruto was cooking breakfast. Normally he wouldn't do such a thing, but he had woken up early and was too excited to go back to sleep. He hadn't burned anything so far, but when he noticed her he stepped aside and gave her a pleading look.

"I can't do it" he murmured.

Hinata sighed but smiled at him, taking over from his position flipping the sizzling food. He had tried to make pancakes and bacon, but he didn't really know what to do next. She easily worked at the stove, flipping pancakes and poking bacon. She turned to his eggs and started to turn them into scrambled ones. They hadn't been the easy-up ones that he'd wanted.

"You paying attention?" she wondered, poking the bacon once more before collecting it on a plate.

"Yes" he murmured, taking the plate from her and putting it on the table.

"Good."

The food turned out to be quite good, even though Naruto hadn't made it entirely himself, and they ate in a content silence.

--

"Time to go meet sensei!" Hinata cried, finally finished washing dishes.

"Right!" Naruto was full of enthusiasm as well.

"Okay. Don your new clothes and fetch me mine, please. I'll check our weapons." Hinata instructed, already moving to shift through their stores of things they'd need.

"Mkay." Naruto moved quickly to follow her instructions, and she heaved their backpacks to the front door.

When he came back, he tossed her things to her. She changed quickly, not caring that Naruto was watching her. They had shared so much of their life together that they had both seen each other nude many times. They'd had to, sometimes, when one of them actually got beaten up and needed to be washed and put into clean clothes. They were both comfortable with their bodies and with each others too. They didn't like each other that way, though, since they thought of each other as siblings.

"Say, do you think Inu will finally show us his face?" Naruto wondered softly.

Hinata shrugged as she finished tying her sword to her belt. "Dunno. Maybe. Even his name would help."

"Where did he say to meet him?"

"Uhm, I believe it was training ground seven. He mentioned having to be a little late, though, since he had to request us as his apprentices. Or rather, you. I'm not even here as of now" she murmured back.

"Right. Sorry. I keep forgetting…"

"Excited?"

"Kinda."

"I see."

--

Hinata and Naruto found the training ground with minimal difficulty. As usual, Inu wasn't anywhere to be seen. They both focused hard, but neither could sense his chakra signature. Hinata shrugged her shoulders a few times and pulled out her sword. It was light in her hand, and she started warming up. It wouldn't do to get cramps when Inu was full out attacking them.

Naruto watched for a moment as she stumbled around, trying to get her form right. Then he sighed and withdrew his own sword, a little bit larger and heavier. He was stronger than his adopted sister, so his was fitted to him. He slashed around the clearing too, form still not good enough to actually use the thing in a fight.

After a good half-hour, their sensei showed up. He appeared in a flurry of leaves, orange book in hand. His ANBU equipment was missing, and his white mask was missing. But instead of seeing a face, the two Genin saw a thin black mask pulled up to his eyes, covering over half his face. Then, to add to that, he wore his headband tilted over his left eye. The only part of his face you could see was the general area around his right eye. It lifted lazily from the words in his book to gaze at them.

"Yo. Sorry I'm late."

--

Hinata and Naruto had been confused at first, but the man revealed himself as their friend. His real name was Kakashi, and Hinata had a hard time switching it from the name they grew up calling him. Naruto had no problem, but the female felt that his name was more personal, something that wasn't meant to be shared with others. It was a girl thing, really.

"So, Kakashi-sensei" his name still felt foreign on her lips, "what are we going to do first?"

The man's easy posture hadn't changed, but his book was suddenly missing.

"We're not going to do much today….I know your teamwork is great, so we don't need to take the second test…Hm…We might work a little more on your sword forms, along with chakra sensing…"

Naruto shuffled his feet a little, wanting to ask a question, but his timid nature prevented him from speaking. Kakashi ignored his student's unwillingness to ask, hoping that the boy would ask so he could answer. Hinata sighed and spoke up, asking the question that Naruto wanted to know the answer to.

"So what are we going to do before that? Book learning?" Hinata curled her lip for a second before bringing her face back to normal.

Hinata hated books sometimes, because she'd rather be fighting. Fighting made her feel alive, whereas books grew less and less appealing each day. She used to love them, and she still did, but she would rather be learning new moves and attacks. She had enough of books in the academy. On the other hand, Naruto's eyes lit up. He enjoyed the knowledge he got from reading, and even though he read slower than his sister, he absorbed more of the lessons and words.

"Ah, no. We are going to talk. I have a lot to tell you…" suddenly he looked uncomfortable, and Hinata gestured to the training log posts. There were three of them, perfect for practicing balance or meditating on at the moment.

Once they were seated, Kakashi began.

"Okay…So, Naruto, you know your last name. Right?"

Naruto just nodded.

"But Hinata, you adopted his last name as his sister. You can still do that, but would you like to know your real last name?"

The female's eyes widened and she stole a glance at her brother. She had always wondered where she came from, but she hadn't been able to figure it out. She had tried to figure out based on her different eyes, but whenever she had seen someone with similar eyes; they were gone in an instant. It was so frustrating, and she couldn't go to the Hokage without losing her invisibility. So this would be a real treat.

"I take that as a yes. Hinata, you used to belong to a clan called 'Hyuuga.'"

--

Both teens knew that name. They had seen it in many books, but they had never made the connection. Both were stunned.

"But…but they're such a prestigious clan! Why would they abandon me?"

Kakashi looked sympathetically at her.

"I know. It's a sad thing…Hinata, what I'm telling you is confidential. I don't know what'll happen if you tell people, but I'm betting it won't be pretty. I'd keep this information to yourself. You too, Naruto."

Both ninjas nodded and he continued his talking. Hinata wished he didn't wear his mask; it would probably be easier to hear him…

"When you were born, there was a great commotion. The Hyuuga clan head had wanted to have a male heir, and they had a huge meeting on what they would do. Because you're female, many wanted to…kill you. But the elders decided to experiment. They told everyone to pretend that you had died, and your father brought you to the orphanage. It just so happened to be the one Naruto was put in just a little bit after."

Hinata had tears in her eyes. Her own father had wanted to kill her. She wiped her eyes and asked the question that suddenly popped into her head.

"But…I read that that clan had seals…why don't I have one? I might lose the secrets of their eyes…" She didn't even care that she had a bloodline limit- her father wanting her dead hurt too much.

"Hm. I think its part of the experiment. They probably have someone watching you from afar…but they probably lost you when you moved to where you're living now. Sometimes I've felt another chakra presence, lately, and they might have found you again. Whenever I investigate, though, it's gone…"

Hinata took a deep breath. "Will they come after me and seal me, then?" her voice was unnaturally quiet.

"I don't know, Hinata…I don't know." His voice couldn't hide the sadness he held for her.

Naruto had been quiet the entire time. "So…she's not really an orphan…?"

"Oh, well, she was before. But once you two became friends and made a plan to run off, you were both no longer orphans."

"So…can we still be siblings? I mean, she's from a prestigious clan, and I'm…I'm a nobody…"

"No you are not!" Hinata rounded on him, standing up and glaring at her sibling.

"You are not a nobody! You are my brother, and future Hokage!"

Naruto looked surprised for a moment, but then a troubled look shadowed his face.

"I'm not going to become Hokage. I just can't bear to think of the things I'll have to do."

"Well then, fine. I'll be Hokage. But you're still my brother, no matter what!"

Kakashi gazed at them, astounded by their connection. Hinata appeared shy and weak, but she was tough and loved her sibling to bits. Naruto was still unsure of himself, but he wanted to please his sister for all the love she showed him.

"You guys deserve each other…" he murmured to himself, tuning out of their small conversation out of courtesy.

--

After the two kids fell silent, Kakashi wondered if they wanted to actually train.

"Well…. It's something to take our minds off that, isn't it?" Naruto spoke quietly, showing his true self in front of his friends.

Hinata dove into the work, doubling her efforts to forget what news she had learned. She would have to accept it later, but right now she just wanted to be herself. Not a Hyuuga heir, but Naruto's sister. It felt better that way.

--

Naruto learned better forms to help him with his sword-wielding, and Hinata could spread her chakra tendrils out far enough to sense Kakashi from any location found around their training grounds. He had dimmed his signature almost all the way, sometimes entirely. She would find him, though, since everything had chakra and always had some flowing through them. Or sometimes nature would feel a little bit out of place, like a broken twig or a fallen leaf. It was always sudden, and Hinata knew it was from his disturbances.

Naruto wasn't the most perfect swordsman, but he was a little more graceful than before. He could flow through the dances, blade almost singing when it cut cleanly through the air to his invisible target. They all sparred each other, with Naruto and Hinata tag-teaming their sensei. They still lost, but they really went all out. Naruto kept flooding the area with clones, attack plans in his head. Hinata snuck from behind, hiding her chakra. She was always found out, but sometimes he was surprised enough that she landed a few hits.

When they went home that night, they didn't even have time to change clothes before they fell into their beds. Hinata made sure she unbuckled her sword and pushed it off the bed before slipping into the world of dreams. Naruto wasn't as lucky, but he was laying in such a deep sleep that he wouldn't move around enough for it to be of any bother. Kakashi was also tired, but only because he had to go all out to fight the pair. They were actually much stronger than they thought; they didn't know he was going all out, and he hoped they didn't figure it out soon. Because if they did, then they would just keep on going until he was beat, and it might kill them. He wanted them to get better, but in good time they would. He would make sure of it.

--

Hinata woke up late the next morning. Her muscles were sore, and she trudged to their shower to clean herself of the sweat and dirt from the day before. The hot water felt good on her pale skin, and she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool tile of the side wall. Eventually she had to wash her hair and scrub her body clean, but just standing there soothed her muscles. The fluffy towel helped, too, and she dressed with renewed vigor.

"Naruto? You awake?" she yelled, pulling on her sandals.

"Nnngg…"

Hinata sighed and went into his room, dragging him out of bed by the ankles. He fell onto the floor, finally awake.

"Hey!"

"We're going to be late. Shower; I'll have breakfast ready when you're done. I'll have lunch ready in bento boxes, too."

"Fine…"

While Naruto went off to shower, Hinata made breakfast and lunch. Their first meal would have to be light, since training hard on a full stomach was a bad idea. An apple, water, and a ration bar would be enough till lunch. It would definitely last for five hours; seven to twelve would be nothing once they got into sparring. For lunch, she whipped up some rice balls and a side of dumplings. She stowed the lunch boxes in her bag with three pairs of chopsticks and made her way to the door with fruit and water in hand.

"'Ruto?!"

He sprinted into the room, toweling his hair still. He was dressed, a little bit of water from his hair dripping onto his shirt.

"Here, sorry."

"It's fine. Here. Let's go."

"Thanks, Hinata. Yum, food."

--

They were late, but Kakashi was too so it was okay. He wasn't too bad, but they knew that it was another lesson for them. In the early days, he kept telling them 'look underneath the underneath' like a mantra. Another one was 'teamwork'. The two Genin had eaten their food by then and had started warming up with meditation.

"Yo." Kakashi raised a hand in salute to them, dropping it after they looked up.

--

"Let's break for lunch" Kakashi panted, still blocking against a strong punch from Naruto.

Instantly both Genin stopped attacking him and made for their food. He grinned and headed to join them, feeling hungry himself. He also wanted to see how they'd react to seeing him eat with his mask up. Usually he took it down a little to eat, but he ate fast enough that no one had time to see anything. For now, though…

"Kaka-sensei, how are you eating?"

"Hm?" he pretended not to notice what the blond meant.

"Genjutsu" Hinata replied, eating a dumpling with such vigor it made their sensei wonder if they were starving themselves.

"How'd you know?" Kakashi wondered, keeping it up to eat another bite of his lunch.

"There are small disturbances at the sides of your mask" she mumbled, pointing with her chopsticks.

Kakashi gazed at her another moment before breaking out into a wide grin, even though they couldn't see it.

"I'm going to teach you some Genjutsu, then."

--

The rest of lunch was ate in silence, until Naruto accidentally made a comment about Hinata's real family. He winced when she froze, and Kakashi struggled to fix it.

"Uh, I can teach you how to use your bloodline limit"

Her body froze again and she turned to him.

"You…can?"

He mentally swore and nodded. "I guess. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Great!" She perked up, a smile growing on her face.

Kakashi could have sworn that it wasn't a real smile, but by the time he looked again she was standing up and stretching. She rolled her shoulders back a few times and gazed around.

"Maybe I won't be useless after all…" she murmured, barely intelligible.

Kakashi finished and stood up as well, steeling himself to help her more than before. He had taught both of them when they were growing up, but he had to be honest with himself; he had focused more on the blond. Now it was her turn.

--

Later that day, after working on some Genjutsu tips and mental ideas, Kakashi taught Hinata how to activate and work her Byakugan. He didn't know about it exactly, but he had worked with a Hyuuga on his ANBU squad, so he knew how it worked a little bit. And he wasn't completely ignorant, since the Hyuuga clan was a big part of Konaha. Besides, seeing through things and things farther away couldn't be that hard to learn, right?

"Right. So, basically when you activate your eyes, you can see three hundred-sixty degrees around you." He would have said her eyes widened even more than normal, but he couldn't tell because she didn't have pupils.

"You have a blind spot, but it's little. Your range for sight depends on your skill and chakra level and control. You might be able to see pretty far later on, but you need a constant flow of chakra to keep it up. That means you can't use it forever. Now, you need to make a handsign" he showed her, "and push chakra to your eyes. Not too much, now. A steady flow."

He watched carefully as she copied the handsign. He had his Sharingan showing, but Naruto was behind him and working on chakra control. Hinata wasn't looking up, so she hadn't seen it yet. He watched as she molded chakra through her eyes, and she murmured, "Byakugan!" He figured it was something that they all did instinctively. He wondered in a passing thought why the large clan would abandon a girl with so much potential.

Hinata was astounded. She could see in almost a perfect circle around her. Only a tiny sliver was missing, behind her and up. It was about shoulder height. But it didn't make her feel uncomfortable. She felt images behind her and in front of her bombard her mind, and a moment later she felt herself fall to her knees, holding her head in her hands. She stopped the stream of chakra when she emptied her stomach onto the grass.

Kakashi blinked and watched as she looked on top of the world one second and at the bottom the next. He knelt beside her, holding her long hair out of range of her mouth and sighed. He felt her shake and throw up once more before sitting back on her heels. He let go of her hair and rubbed her back, wondering why she had reacted negatively.

"You alright?" he asked a moment later, taking his hand away.

"Yes, thank you" she murmured, slowly standing up and wiping her mouth.

"What do you think?" Kakashi asked, gazing at her curiously.

"I think we should figure out what's wrong with me" she stated, stretching her limbs a little.

"Right. Well, it could have been because you've never used it before."

"I don't think so. I can channel chakra to everywhere else in my body and I've never had any bad reactions to anything I've learned so far."

"Hm…"

Hinata watched as Naruto whipped out an explosive tag and chucked it at a tree. He had learned how to make them and always seemed to have plenty on hand. They saved a lot of his monthly help by not buying them but ink and paper instead. It exploded and shards of bark and leaves flew out in a wide circle. Hinata's eyes went wide and she looked down at her arm before glancing back up to Kakashi.

"Could you put a seal other than the curse seal on a body?"

Kakashi looked as startled as he could with a mask. "Yeah. ANBU have them sometimes, and of course the Hyuuga…The snake-sanin experimented with some. Why?"

"I think I might have one then. Maybe to mess with my eyes so I can't train with them? It might be like the normal curse-seal of the clan, but just not on my forehead and invisible."

"It might be seen when you use chakra. I know of a few that work like that."

"Right. Okay, let's try." Hinata stripped her thin jacket off and tore her shirt off, placing it in a pile with her jacket.

She still had her chest bound, so she didn't care that she was basically stripping in front of him. It was for medical purposes, and she was only twelve. She slipped her pants off, grinning when Kakashi looked up at the sky.

"I have wraps underneath." Indeed she did; she wore white bandages all around her thighs down to her knees.

"…" Kakashi slowly looked back down.

"Alright. Let's look, then. Naruto!" she yelled, wanted help in finding a seal that might not be there.

"Huh? Hinata, why are you not wearing like…anything?" Naruto jogged over, head tilted in confusion.

"No time to explain anything. When I active my chakra, look for a seal of some sort. Anything. Got it?" The girl didn't have too much chakra to spare, so they had to be quick.

"Uh, sure."

Hinata started molding her chakra, spreading it over her body like a shield. She hoped that it would reveal something to them. If it was a seal, they could potentially get rid of it.

Kakashi pushed his headband back up to look with both eyes. He was a little embarrassed that she didn't care that he saw, but now was not the time. He raked his eyes over her body, looking for something that was out of place. So far, nothing. Naruto was doing the same, focusing on her lower body. She was searching her arms, unwrapping the bandaged she had set upon them this morning.

"What's this?" Kakashi peered closer, eyes narrowed.

Instantly the other two honed in, trying to see what he saw.

"Where?" Hinata asked, curiosity bubbling over.

"Right here…" Kakashi gently placed a finger right below her breast-wrappings to show them.

Hinata blushed and tried to see, but upside-down she couldn't tell. Naruto blinked and looked harder, eyes widening when he saw what Kakashi did.

"Hina-chan, lose the chakra" Naruto murmured.

She complied, and the intricate design vanished. She waited for a nod, and when they both did she began to focus her chakra to the spot they were looking at.

"Yeah. Its skin color, kind of. I bet it's because they thought you would tan, and when you use chakra, it darkens. Because you're so pale, it looks slightly darker than before…" Kakashi murmured.

"Wow. What does it look like?" Hinata wondered, still trying to see the design.

"It's really complex. And big…" Kakashi spoke quietly, eyes wandering a little lower to see how far it went.

"It goes from your chest to your stomach and ends there…"

"Huh. Alright. Can we copy it down and find out about it later, then? Maybe we can get rid of it…" Hinata bit her lip, wanting to be able to use every bit of her body that she could in combat.

"Right, sorry" Kakashi said, hastily pulling out materials to copy it.

Hinata watched as his Sharingan eye spun rapidly. His pen flew over the paper, copying the seal with deadly accuracy. She wondered how they could see it so easily. It was only a tiny bit darker than her skin, and it went all down her flat stomach. She was glad that she had a fit body, since it would be easier to copy the seal from a flat and even surface.

"Done?" Hinata wondered, shivering a little from the slight wind that picked up.

"Yeah" Kakashi murmured, glancing once more from his drawing to her body.

She stopped her chakra flow and grabbed her shirt. "Good. I'm cold. Can I see it?" She question, slipping her clothes back on. She fiddled with her belt a moment before wrapping it around herself with a smile.

"Sure."

Hinata gazed at the paper he handed her, taking in the oddly shaped drawing. It had straight lines on the inside of what seemed like millions of differently sized circles. There were a few triangles, and some words, too. She wasn't completely sure what they meant, though, as they seemed to be older than she knew. Maybe a different language or words that she had never come across?

"Let's keep training" she murmured, putting the seal out of her mind.

--

At the end of the day, before they separated until tomorrow, they came together for a meeting. Sometimes they all just worked on different things, so Kakashi didn't know what one of them worked on.

"Alright. So you guys can take tomorrow off. I'm going to research this seal a little bit. If you want, you can too, but be quiet about it. Don't show it to anyone; no telling either. We'll meet again in two days, and we'll see what we can come up with. Got it?"

"Right; that sounds good. I'll check the library." Hinata yawned, quite tired after what had happened that day.

"I'll look some of it up in the library too" Naruto spoke softly, eyes soft and full of love for his friends.

"Great." Kakashi said, standing back up and stretching his arms behind his head.

"…Sensei?" Naruto murmured, looking shy.

"Mm?" Kakashi looked down, eye calm.

"I…I tried the same thing that Hina-chan did…and I have something on my stomach too…"

Kakashi's face hardened and he sat back down.

"Naruto…"

The blond gazed at the man, somehow knowing that his teacher knew what his was for.

"Naruto…this is an S-class secret…"

* * *

**Oh goodness, I'm so sorry for taking so long! I wanted to get it out three days ago, but stuff came up and I couldn't finish this chapter until...now. **

**I know it's not that long, but I tried to get it a little longer because it's so late. It's been like two weeks since I've updated this...So sorry!**

**Some of this is kinda confusing, but if you have any questions, please ask!! I meant to make this chapter better, but... Eh, I'm happy with everything except her reaction. It'll be better later on, so please keep reading!! **

**I run on reviews, so please keep them coming! Even if all you do is tell me to update, it makes me work a little harder on things. I also enjoy knowing what your favorite part of the chapter is. :)**

**PS HAHAHAHAHAHA I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS (but only when I write them)  
**


	4. Maybe they should all show up late

Two days had seemed like a good idea at the time, but when it all came down to it, it hadn't been long enough. Kakashi hadn't been able to find much, and the two Genin hadn't found anything. Since the two kids were too busy trying to follow on a small lead on the third day, they forgot to go to training. It was alright though, since Kakashi never showed up either. He was trying to figure out a lead as well, but he was a little luckier.

So, four days later, the trio was back to their training. Hinata and Naruto didn't even realize it had been three days missing instead of two, but Kakashi thought maybe they had shown up and been bored the whole day.

"Yo. Uh, sorry about yesterday…"

"What about it?" Hinata questioned, a tad confused.

"I didn't show up."

"Oh. Well, I guess we didn't either."

Naruto let out a small giggle.

"I guess it's alright then."

"Mm. So, can we warm up with a quick spar, only Taijutsu?"

"Sure. Ready? Set…GO!"

--

The days went on, but they didn't find any information on the ink splatters on Hinata's body. If they did find anything, leads were quickly lost or destroyed. It was odd, because it seemed someone was one step ahead of them, keeping them from seeing what the seal was. Hinata didn't mind, but she wanted to find a way to get rid of it, or at the very least make sure it wouldn't hurt her again.

Naruto kept pestering Kakashi for information on his own seal. Hinata helped, but she had a feeling it was something bad. Kakashi never spoke a word of it. He told him that it was confidential and he would be killed for telling him anything more. Naruto was very shy, but with his sensei he became an irksome child.

In spite of all the trouble they gave the older ninja, he continued to teach them as much as he could. He could tell that they would surpass him quickly, even though were young. Great potential was growing in these children, not just because they had more resources now, but because they _wanted _to do their best and become top notch ninjas.

--

Hinata clenched and unclenched her fists, grinning slyly. Her sensei had no idea what was coming next. She put on a burst of energy and slammed into him, almost laughing with exhilaration when she connected. He kicked up with his knee to get her off, but she flipped backwards and rushed forward again. He kicked out, spinning in a circle. She ducked and ran under his defenses, hitting him in the lower back as hard as she could. He fell forward, wincing, but landed on his hands. He pushed himself up with the momentum and dodged another punch.

Before he could get his wits about him, Naruto finally entered the fray, using a small number of shadow clones, the only ones he could use, to rush his teacher. Kakashi sighed and managed to dispel three of them before they got sneaky. They would slip through his defense on the sides or behind him, learning as they got hit. Hinata joined in after a quick breather, making it hard to focus on the clones. It was after he got knocked around by the two kids that he ended it by swirling around in a circle, effectively using the rest of his energy.

All three landed somewhere different. Kakashi was panting, still standing, in the middle of the battlefield. He looked exhausted. Hinata, also gasping for breath, was off to his right, struggling to stand. She was on her feet, but her hands were supporting her thin frame. Naruto was the only one to be perfectly fine. He had been a little tired for a few seconds, but he stood up quite easily and smiled at Kakashi.

"I concede" the ninja paled before saying.

"Yay!" Naruto grinned softly at Hinata, who was grinning and rejoicing.

"We finally won…" the blond murmured.

"Yeah yeah" he muttered. "Now help me over to the wooden posts. I have something to talk to you two about."

"Sure." Naruto blinked and rushed over to help his teacher up.

Hinata, entirely proud of herself, refused the help. She hobbled over with the others, grin intact.

"Okay, so what did you want to tell us…?" both Genin started at him.

"I found something."

Immediately both younger ninjas sat up straighter. Hinata didn't even notice the bruises on her spine as she snapped into attention. The listened closely, not needing to be told what he was going to explain about.

"It was purely by accident, but I still found something," he continued, "and the person or people hiding things didn't have time to hide it. I think we're ahead now."

"I see" Hinata murmured, waiting for him to go on. She didn't want to rush him, but any news at all was a blessing.

"I learned some of the things on your seal, around the outside. The outer ring, if you will. It's made up entirely of elemental signatures. But they aren't normal seals, oh no. For one, they're in a different language. It's odd symbols and pictures that make up the oddest elements. The lesser known ones, the less common ones."

"Like what?" Naruto whispered, enthralled.

"Well, the main ones are fire, wind, earth, and water. Split from that are ice, steel, shadow, light, and sound."

"So what ones compose my outer seal?" Hinata questioned.

"Light, sound, and shadow. The least known ones, really. I knew about clans of people with ice, though they all killed each other in a village war, and the steel users are rare and spread out. Konaha itself houses the shadow manipulators, but no one knows anymore about light or sound. All three are rare anyways."

"Interesting" Hinata shrugged. "So what can we do with it?"

"Well, I found some books on the language that they use for the seal."

"And stole them, right?"

"You could say that. I did leave some cash for them, because stealing isn't good if it's in your own village."

The kids nodded and he went on.

"I learned something else." He slipped the sheet of paper from a pocket that had the seal design on it. "See this?" he traced his finger along on of the sides.

"Yeah. Hey, it looks different. But…it's a circle. Shouldn't it be the same?"

"That's what I thought, too. But the other three sides must equal this one. It has more markings, and a circle must balance out or it won't work."

"How strange…" Hinata commented, gazing at the drawing intently.

"Do you know anything else?" Naruto asked.

"I'm afraid that's all I found. But I'm working on it still. I have several leads and I sent a few people that owe me favors to help find more."

"Thank you" Hinata spoke suddenly.

"For what?" Kakashi seemed taken aback.

"Helping me so much."

"You're my student. It's my duty" he looked to the side, embarrassed.

"Thank you anyways" she murmured, absently rubbing her stomach near the center of where the seal would be.

It was silent for a few moments, and the Naruto spoke up quietly.

"I think we're all hungry. I'll treat to ramen."

--

To go to the ramen shop Naruto loved, Hinata had to disguise herself under a Genjutsu. She was really tired but figured she could hold a simple one for a little while. She made herself look the same as usual in public, with the twin ponytail blond hair, hanging straight down to her hips. Her eyes were a little more difficult, but she managed to get them the same color as Naruto's. On either cheek were three slashes going horizontal, identical to her brothers.

"Ah, my best customers! And you brought a friend..?" the owner greeted them cheerfully, talking to them while stirring in some vegetables to some of the ramen.

"He's my sensei!" Naruto brought his façade up as well.

"Ah, the sensei you've told me so much about. What is your name, good sir?" Kakashi was a little surprised at the kindness of this man. Not many villagers like the blond.

"Hatake Kakashi" he murmured.

"Ah, so mysterious."

Naruto smiled and ordered a few large bowls. Hinata added three onto his five, and Kakashi ordered one to start. Kakashi watched curiously as the blond sucked down his ramen. It disappeared so quickly that it made him realize something. _He needs a lot of food, or else all the energy goes to burning it off. His metabolism is the fastest I've ever seen. Guess I know why he's so thin… Heh, I know hundreds of females that would kill for that. _

Hinata had just finished her third bowl when she felt her illusion begin to fade. Her chakra was almost exhausted and she needed to go somewhere private so no one would find her. She made a quick signal to her team and then lowered her head so it was in the shadows.

"Thank for the awesome ramen!" she said loudly, slapping a few notes on the table. She knew Naruto was going to pay, but it was both of their money…

Hinata rushed away, dropping the Genjutsu when the strain was too much. She kept her head down and ran into an alley, sticking to the shadows and running quickly.

Kakashi didn't question, but he was curious to as why she needed to keep the illusion up. Sure, she was technically a missing person, but it had been ten or so years. Was she still that concerned? He glanced over to Naruto, who was also setting money down. He left just as quickly, but a little more quietly. He waited a moment, and then followed the boy.

--

Naruto followed Hinata and Kakashi followed Naruto. Hinata, obviously, made it back to their home first. Naruto waited only a minute before going in, tapping out a soft knock before going inside. Hinata was sitting calmly on the couch, reading a book. Neither one seemed to notice when Kakashi entered through a loose board under the guest room bed, and he listened and observed from there.

"You alright?"

"Perfectly; why wouldn't I be?" Hinata gazed up at Naruto quizzically.

The blond shrugged. "You seemed a little off when you left." He spoke softly.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." Hinata blinked and looked up for a moment, smiling lightly.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, do we have more training today, or are you going to spy on our half-day off the whole time?"

Kakashi, startled, couldn't answer right away. He actually thought he had been perfectly silent and not been spotted.

"Well, you see" he finally attempted. "Uh, see you." He slipped down into his little passageway, covering the hole and making a clone to go and slink away, hoping that she'd think he left.

Naruto stared at her for a little longer before shrugging and going to his bedroom for a nap. He liked to sleep a lot because he had dreams that fueled many of their seal and move ideas. Hinata made sure to stay quiet and pretend to read until he was in REM sleep before putting her book down gently.

She covered her face with both hands, silent for another moment. Then her sobs started, and she cried her heart out. She was alone for a few minutes, until Kakashi decided to find out what was wrong. It probably wasn't his business, but he felt like their father. He wanted to be, or something close to them. He loved them.

"Hinata…" He thought she would be startled and push him away, protesting about how she was fine. Instead, she cried harder and pulled him close, squeezing him like a rag doll.

He let her cry out her pain, and he tried his best to comfort her by rubbing her back gently and murmuring comforting words to her. Sometimes she would flinch; sometimes she would stop crying for a few seconds to hit him. Her punches, even though strong, didn't hurt him. She wasn't trying to beat out her anger, but keep him closer. He didn't like to admit this to, well anyone, but he knew what girls thought most of the time. He actually understood them. He didn't have much experience lover-wise, but he was friends with a lot of loud females.

Anko was one of those women, and whenever she had to break down, she came to him. He hadn't know what to do that first time, and just sat there, pretending to be calm, listening to her and rubbing her back. It soothed her so much that she always went to him if there was a problem. Somehow, other females started seeing him as a stuffed animal, someone to hug and pour their hearts out to. He didn't mind, but he didn't know half the people that came to him. Well, he didn't before. He knew the life's story of many females. But… he never told anyone about who broke down crying or when, or why.

He didn't want his reputation to become seen as a big softie, because then enemy ninjas wouldn't take him seriously. And he enjoyed seeing the look on their face when they realized who was about to kill them, or knock them out, or beat their asses so badly that they gave up something that Konoha wanted. Kakashi was good at his job, and he didn't want that to be ruined. He was proud of himself.

So, sitting here with Hinata, he did the same thing to help her. He stayed quiet and let her work it all out, even if it meant becoming a punching bag. He could always change his clothes later, if she got them too wet with tears. Besides, he didn't want his student to become depressed or hurt herself. She had potential to become an extraordinary Hokage, and if it meant making sure she was okay, then so be it. Because he believed that she could change the Leaf Village for the better.

--

When her tears finally stopped flowing, she sat back against the couch, curling up into a ball. She sniffed a few times, and he produced a few tissues for her. She smiled weakly at him and accepted the offering, wiping her eyes and tossing them into a trash can across the room. Kakashi nodded at the excellent aim and then turned to her again. He waited for her to talk, since he knew she would want to explain eventually. He was patient.

"I'm sorry" she murmured, hugging her knees to her chest.

"You didn't do anything wrong" he said softly.

"It's what I didn't do. Or know, rather." She sighed.

"Oh? What didn't you do then, Hina-chan? Become Hokage on your first day of ninja training?" He joked lightly.

Hinata grinned, and he leaned back against the arm on his side of the couch. His legs were stretched out, but somehow keeping out of her bubble of space. Then her smile faded.

"It's not that simple" she covered her face with her hands, almost ready to start over again.

"Explain to me, then. Please. I'm willing to listen."

Hinata lifted her head slowly. Her eyes peeked up at him.

"Seriously?" her voice sounded almost back to normal.

"Seriously." He confirmed.

"Oh…" she shrugged. "Thank you, Kakashi."

He nodded kindly and motioned for her to begin, when she was ready, of course.

"So uhm…" she poked her fingers together, sounding as shy as Naruto. "It's not that I'm not strong enough to protect everyone in the village yet, it's that…that I can't even protect one person!" she finally burst out.

He was startled. "Why, what do you mean?"

She took a deep breath. "I can't even protect one person I love. Naruto is still scorned and looked down upon. I don't even know why." Kakashi looked slightly guilty, but he let her continue. "You seem to think you don't need protecting, but you won't accept the fact that you have friends! You don't want to let go of the past and make new ties. Sasuke's _entire family died _and I couldn't do anything to help him. He's gone depressed and I can only be his shadow, following him and trying to send hints that he's not alone. He never gets them."

Kakashi's mind tried to process this information. No one had ever told him that he was stuck in the past.

"The ramen stand that we like to go to, like today? The owner is struggling to make ends meet, much like us. Because Naruto and I eat there, no one else does. Maybe Iruka once in awhile, but really we can't support them without having more money ourselves. Not to mention the countless orphanages and homeless people! I can't do _anything!"_

Shocked, Kakashi stared at her. Her she was, barely thirteen, and already worried about things adults never even _began _to look at till they were in their late forties or fifties. Most didn't even worry about these things, living their lives in the most normal ways. But her, she was thinking more about these people that she didn't even know, or knew very well, and putting them above herself.

_I knew you'd make a great Hokage._

"Hinata." He was gently shaking her shoulders now, trying to get her to stop ranting. It was helpful most times, but that 5% that wasn't a good idea…

"Hina-chan."

"WHAT!"

Kakashi leaned forward and tugged his mask down, pressing his lips to hers. Her eyes opened wide and she froze, not knowing what to do next. He didn't linger long and pulled back, letting her see his face for a few moments before returning the fabric up over his nose.

"What the hell…?" she murmured, touching her lips with her fingers lightly.

"You needed to be quiet and it was the only way I could do it without hurting you." He reasoned.

She stared at him, blushing, and then narrowed her eyes.

"Pervert!" She covered her chest by crossing her arms in an 'X', pulling her legs even tighter to her body.

"While I'd like to say I'm not" he started, "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't."

He had somehow managed to get on top of her, spreading her body out under his. His mask was down and his forehead protector pushed up, one eye closed. She was panting hard for some reason, probably from the struggle of staying curled up. He smirked down at her, letting his gaze wander down to her chest. It was unbound by now, and she showed through her shirt.

"H-hey…"

And then he was sitting back up, pulling her against his chest. His face was once again covered, one eye and a tiny patch of skin visible.

"Hinata… Everyday, I'm consumed by lust. Not just for you, but for everyone. I'm not impartial to gender, but females…" he licked his lips slowly under his mask. "Females are made for men."

"Hey!" she protested, a little louder than before.

"Females are meant to be held gently by a man" he spoke softly, nuzzling her neck. "Females should be treated with respect and dignity, as they are our equals. Men think that our gender is better, more dominant, but in fact we are just about equal."

"H-how so?"

"Think about it. Men are stronger, usually, but females can withstand so much more pain."

"Why?"

"Think about it, Hina-chan. What can you do that I can't?"

"…Have a…. baby?"

"That's right. Your body is built to be able to bear and borne a child, or however many, and males cannot. If we even could hold a baby, the pain alone would kill us before even starting the birth. And girls, women, put up with a lot."

"We do" she agreed, leaning back against his chest. She wasn't afraid of what he was doing now. He had just been making a point.

"You have to go through a monthly cycle, put up with boys, train twice or three times harder to achieve the same level that us guys get by slacking off, and live through nasty gossip and grape vine rumors."

"It's true…" she said sadly.

It was silent for a few minutes, with them sitting in the same position the entire time. Then Kakashi seemed to realize where she was and hurriedly set her in her own seat, scooting a little bit away from her.

"Sorry" he murmured. "But…just remember – you'll be strong enough soon, and you'll save all those you want to and more."

And then he was gone, leaving Hinata a little confused, and just a tad disappointed.

--

Naruto hadn't heard any of the conversation they had the day before, so when they went to training at six in the morning he was happy. He didn't know that Hinata hid anything from him, but instead thought that everything was fine. It was, for the most part, but Hinata knew that she would still hold on to that regret. It would stay with her forever.

Kakashi hoped to make this training as non-awkward as possible, so he decided to teach them something new. They might not use the skill, but it might help a little sometime in the future. He swirled in a circle of leaves onto the training ground, holding two lengths of wood. They were smooth, thin, and cut down to about half his height. He presented the wood to his Genin and waited for them to say something.

"Hm. A bow. Are we learning how to use them?" was all the excitement he got.

"Uh, yes."

--

Naruto caught on more quickly than Hinata. He used clones, of course, but he had better aim. She could judge distances better, but her general aim with the arrows were off. She guessed it was because her stance was wrong or she was holding it incorrectly.

"Hey, can I have some help?" Hinata asked, trying to figure out what she was doing differently than Naruto.

"Sure" Kakashi wandered over to help her. "What's up?"

"I can't seem to get close to the target…"

"What's your target?" he questioned.

"That tree branch, right there." She pointed to a thick branch not that far up in a tree. A perfect target.

"Alright. Show me, then."

Hinata knocked another arrow on the string and wound three fingers around it, pulling back to her face. Her feet were spread a little less than a foot apart, and she had her weight centered in her stomach. She held the string close to her body, pointer finger actually at the corner of her mouth. Her left eye was closed, and the right was staring down the center of the arrow, aiming it at her target. The string was gently resting against her nose, and she finally let go.

"Huh."

The arrow had gone way off from her mark, but he wasn't watching where it went. He was trying to figure out how she was doing it wrong. Her form was perfect, keeping her weight evenly between both feet. Her body had froze when she let go, only movements her hands. Her right one, that held the string, was pulled back smoothly. The left wrist was pointing down, bow swinging loosely in her hand.

"So, what's wrong?" she finally asked, releasing her breath.

"I don't know… You held your form, your anchor point was perfect, and you centered your weight. You weren't tilting the bow, so…" Kakashi was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Ah, I know," he said after another moment, "let me see the weapon."

Hinata silently handed the bow over and he tested it, moving it up and down in his hands. He nodded and then grinned, even though she couldn't see it.

"It's too light."

"Huh?"

"It's not heavy enough. The actual weight and the poundage."

"…Oh."

"I'll get you a different one, hold on…"

--

Naruto was sitting in a tree, reading a scroll. It was on elemental manipulation, and he was curious. It said that Wind was the most destructive, but it didn't offer an explanation why. He finally rolled it up and ran down the tree trunk to discuss it with his sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei, sensei!" he called, pulling the older ninja away from Hinata.

"Hai?"

"I have a question" he said shyly.

"Shoot." Kakashi ducked as Hinata did just that, giggling as the new bow made her aim nice and true. It landed at his feet, and then it promptly blew up.

Naruto was far away enough to not be affected by the tiny bomb, but Kakashi had to shushin away to stay safe. He came back after a few seconds, staring at Hinata intently.

"What the hell was that???"

"Arrow bomb!"

--

So Hinata loved explosives. So what? Just because she was a girl didn't mean they weren't any less fun. If anything, more fun! Guys didn't expect them, and it was priceless to see the looks on their faces when they went off. Boom! She laughed.

--

"What do you need, Naruto?" Kakashi asked pleasantly.

"Well, this scroll," he took it out, "says that wind is the most destructive element. But I've learned about tons of things that could be more dangerous that air manipulation. Can you tell me why they think it is?"

"Alright. Well, let's see. Since Wind is the control of air, basically pressurized air; how does that work? You build up the pressure inside of something, like say a bomb," Kakashi glanced over to Hinata, "and the more force pressing against it the bigger or more powerful it is. Wind is the same, because it is just a giant bomb that you don't need much to build it and it can be as large scale as you can make it."

"Using chakra, right?"

"Correct. So wind is very dangerous, but to the user as well. Since the longer you hold it, the more force it will exert, you need to get it perfectly right or something will go wrong and backfire."

"Right; like it says here on one of these Jutsus that if preformed wrong then it'll blow your arm right off."

"See? It's very good to be able to use it, but it must be taught and learned correctly. And nothing shoddy."

"Yeah, or you'll die" Naruto spoke seriously.

"Potentially. Look, what else have you read about? I want to hear what you know about the other elements…"

"Okay. I'll start with fire."

"Sure."

"Fire is deadly as well, because with the combination of heat, a fuel source, and oxygen, it is unstoppable. Intense burns are-"

"Wait wait wait. It's not unstoppable."

"It's not?"

"Tell me how it can be stopped."

"Uh…"

"Take away the oxygen. Cut off from that, does it have a chance?"

"I suppose not."

"What if you have the oxygen and heat source but no fuel?"

"It'll… burn until there isn't any fuel left…?"

"Right. And what about no heat?"

"No heat, no fire."

"Good. So it is stoppable, but most people panic and forget because they think it's hopeless. Their brains stop working with them and go against them. Remember that though, since the calmer you are near fire the better."

"Got it.

"Right then, go on."

"Fire is destructive, though, and can burn through wood at a very fast rate."

"Okay. Is that it?"

"Not really, but the rest sounds stupid when I explain it. Water next; water is the most soothing element, because the most skilled medics can implement it in their healing, using it to sooth and treat wounds, cleaning and disinfecting them with just a flick of their wrist. It can also be used to drown someone, or cut a hole in them if careful. Water can also be used to conceal poisons."

"You know a lot about water" Kakashi pointed out.

"Hinata wants it. She would love to have a healing and fighting element."

"Oh"

"Let's see…I know a little bit about earth. It is a great defensive element, as barriers and shields can be used to save the user. Houses, or little shelters, can be used when camping or trying to stay hidden. It can be used for battle, but mainly it's for defenses."

"Let me interject here… You have good points, but so much more can be done with it."

"Like what?" Naruto tilted his head curiously.

"Well, for one, if you can manage it, you could use air to suffocate someone. Cut off their supply. You can move around more freely with wind, and if you have enough chakra you could effectively fly. With earth you can move through the ground, or mud, and make more solid clones. More chakra is needed, but they last longer. Try to think like that."

"So… if I worked hard enough, I could do all of those things?"

"Effectively, yes. You would have trouble with one element until you learn to control your elemental chakra first."

"Am I not able to use every element?"

"Well, you have a specific element. Or not, or more than one. And once you use that specific type of chakra to fuel a wind Jutsu, you need to forget how to use it to do, say, a fire Jutsu. But, you really can't 'forget' how to use it, since if you did you would have to relearn it all over again, which you can't do in the middle of a battle."

"So…I have to force the knowledge away until I use it?"

"Right. So if I use this…" Kakashi summoned up an earth clone quickly. "Then I have to forget, momentarily, how to use earth chakra. Then I can do this…" He ran through some more seals and pulled down his mask, blowing fire out too quickly to allow any sight.

"Wow…. So I can learn that, too?"

"Yes, but you'll have to figure it out on your own. I cannot teach how you can do something like that."

--

Hinata sighed and set the weapon down. She enjoyed shooting the bow, but she guessed it would be too tricky to use in battle. Her style of fighting was mostly Taijutsu, with some random trickery thrown in. Mostly defense, close range. It was good to know how it worked, though, because if there was a war, she could pick off people from a distance. If there was large scale fighting, and a bow-person died, she could use their bow if she didn't have any other option.

On the topic of wars…

"Kakashi-kun?" Hinata called, not noticing how into their talk the boys were.

"Ah, yes?"

"What else can you teach us? About basic weaponry, I mean."

"Oh, ah, lots of things. But I do know one person that could teach you more…"

"Can we meet them?" Hinata looked excited.

"Ah, maybe. I'll have to cash in a favor…"

"Please?" she pouted.

"Hina-chan…" he sighed. "Fine. I'll go talk to him now, and you guys can spar. Don't kill each other while I'm gone."

"Hai, sensei!" They saluted him before he disappeared and got to sparring.

--

"Please, don't make this harder then it needs to be…" Kakashi had a hand on his forehead, shaking his head back and forth slowly.

"Do not be silly! I'll let you take my student for as long as you need my hip rival!"

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Kakashi mumbled, nodding at his self proclaimed rival and then at the student he wished to borrow for some group training.

"Ah, let's go" he whispered down to the Genin, a little too weirded out to stay here any longer.

"Thank you" the weapon master whispered back, following him quickly.

--

"We're back!" Kakashi called before the Genin beside him noticed what Hinata looked like. He saw the flash of darker hair to bright blond before his two Genin stopped fighting.

"Wow, on time for once!" Naruto joked loudly.

"I can't believe it!" Hinata spoke up, facing the two ninjas standing opposite from them with large blue eyes.

"Team seven, meet Tenten. She's going to be teaching you to use weapons."

* * *

**Hey, uh. Sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time....**

**I tried to make this chapter longer, (5.5k words) but I know that I should have more by now. I'm trying, I really am.**

**I would like to send a shoutout to ANYONE who has read this far and who has reviewed and anyone who has added this story to an alert/favorites.**

**It makes me so happy. **

**I'll try to update more and sooner, but I can't make any promises. I hope you do like this chapter, and I really hope there will be at least one review.**

**Thank you!**


	5. Training and Stories

Weapon training was fun. Hinata learned quickly, adapting to each item presented to her. She could pick a piece of metal up and instantly be able to maim someone with it. But it was Naruto who was doing better this time. He only had dexterity with a few of the weapons presented to them, but the ones he was good at, he excelled at wielding them.

His favorites included the toothpick dagger, the left-handed dagger, and an interesting sword that seemed to fit him perfectly.

The toothpick dagger had a thirty centimeter blade, with enough room on the handle to fit his hand comfortably. It moved silently and was made out of a dull, non-shiny black to hide in the shadows. It wouldn't flash about in the sun, or any type of light. It was fairly lightweight but it was meant to be used as a defense, so he would look into one if he ever wanted to have backup.

The left-handed dagger was just about the same, but its blade was a bright silver, all flash and glamor. It was a little heavier than the toothpick, but it played a different role. It would distract enemies if he got into a drawn out fight, and it served to distract and defend rather than kill. That didn't mean it wasn't sharp, however. When Naruto ran his finger lightly against the edge, it cut a fine line into his skin, and if he didn't have his heightened healing, he would have bleed all over the metal.

And finally, the sword. The blade was about thirty inches tall, and the widest point measured two inches. The sword was flat, sharp, and deadly. Its color was a deep blue, funnily enough matching Naruto's eyes exactly. The hilt had enough room to fit both hands, but it was easy enough to hold with just one. The weight was manageable by now, and Naruto was already swinging it around, figuring out how to keep it silent while it flew about. He was light on his feet, and his eyes were always watching for his friends; he didn't want to hit them by accident.

Tenten didn't have to do much to teach them, but because they listened so well, taking in everything she said, she gladly talked on and on about weapons and their uses. She was a master of all the weapons she carried, and she didn't mind lending them to Hinata or Naruto. She learned this quickly, as the two were immediately careful when holding them, touching them, or sparring with them.

Kakashi watched from a distance, processing multiple things at once. He was taking into account how well the three worked together, the elder Genin warming up to the younger students and fitting in just fine. Another train of thought was exploring all he had read with his Sharingan about the seals and languages. Elements were also included, and he was trying to figure out how they all connected to make that one seal. It had to be doing something, he figured, as Hinata couldn't activate her dojutsu without feeling horrible. And the more her skills improved, the more her paranoia increased. She reported to him that she felt watched. All the time.

He certainly wasn't the one on her tail. He asked the Hokage, but because it was just a feeling, nothing could be done. So occasionally he would hunt around when they were training, keeping a clone in his spot to pretend to read or watch his students. Nothing would turn up, but soon enough he began to feel watched as well. It unnerved him that he couldn't find the person(s) responsible for making him feel uneasy.

Naruto finally stopped to take a break, and Hinata noticed right away that she also needed a break. They had been working with various weapons and gadgets for hours now. She plopped next to Naruto and gestured for Tenten to sit with them. She pulled out a bento box from her bag and handed one to the new girl. Then she handed two to Naruto and another two for herself. She always made a lot of food, because if she didn't they would be constantly hungry. Tenten made no comment, but she grinned after tasting the food.

Kakashi was gone when they finished, but none of them seemed to mind. They just picked up their work once more, going over what they learned and suggesting tactics and ways to use the weapons effectively. It went on for awhile, but then Tenten said she had to meet her team for a meeting before going home for dinner. She gave them the name of her fathers ninja shop and left, waving goodbye.

"We done for the day, then?" Hinata yawned at her brother.

"I suppose so, seeing as Kakashi isn't here."

"Oh I'm here" said teacher put a hand on their shoulders from behind them, scaring them. He grinned, but neither of them could see it. "Oops, you guys didn't hear me, did you?"

Hinata bit her lip. She hadn't been paying attention, no. Oh well, luckily it was Kakashi and not enemy ninja. "What's up?"

"I found more information. We may as well go back home. You can shower and eat. Then we can talk more comfortably."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure."

Hinata showered first, and she let Naruto go next while she prepared food. Then while Kakashi showered really quick, Naruto set the table and gathered all their information and set it on a side table for easy access.

Kakashi had new clothes on, as he had a small room he sometimes crashed in here. He was toweling his hair dry as he walked into the kitchen/dining room, and he breathed in the scents, appreciating the young girls' talent for cooking.

"Smells great, what is it?" he wondered.

"Sushi, an assortment of meat, a _small _amount of ramen, and rice with vegetables mixed in." Hinata replied automatically. She finished stirring one of the pots and then scooped it onto a plate. She set something in a circle around that and then carefully draped a large slice of something next to that. She sprinkled some healthy looking toppings onto that, and then covered it all in some sort of sauce.

She did this three times, but the third one she also dumped noodles into a bowl and set that next to the plate. That would be Naruto's meal. She sat down in her seat and nodded at the two guys licking their lips at the food.

"Well..?" she asked. They didn't need more invitation and they dug into the food, hungry from training hard.

It didn't take long for the three to eat. It was good food, and it wasn't much but it was something. Soon they would be making money, not too much, but still money from missions. They relocated to the living room after Naruto made a clone to clean up after them.

"So, what do we have in total?" Hinata got straight to the point.

"Right, so I found out which languages this is in. I don't have the specific words or any understanding of them, but I know there is some French, Spanish, and English mixed into this seal. The elements correspond to the languages, I've found."

"How so?" Naruto leaned forward, watching as Kakashi set the drawing down on the desk.

"See this?" he pointed to a mark.

"Yes." The two Genin chorused.

"That mark is a mixture of a language and an element. It is French and also fire. The Spanish one corresponds to steel," he pointed to the new one, "and the English is Earth."

"So what is the fourth one?" Hinata tapped the fourth symbol.

"I'm not sure yet…" he confessed.

"It looks like an old language." Naruto suddenly spoke. "Like in the History books we had to read in the academy."

Kakashi turned the sheet and then slapped his forehead. "Wow. Alright, so that's Japanese from way back."

"What element would match that?" Hinata questioned, confused. None of the ones she knew matched the letter.

Kakashi shrugged. "Not sure on that either. I'll look more into it. I hope I did find a pattern, though…" he trailed off, staring at the symbols.

Naruto filled the silence.

"Well, I found out more about the elements and their roots, so maybe that will help?"

They proceeded to go over every bit of information they had, dissecting it to see if it would be useful. They were up until the next day, where first Naruto had fallen asleep, then Kakashi, and finally Hinata had to admit they didn't know anything more from what they found.

Morning came early, but the three woke up and got to work anyways. Hinata was surprised to find Kakashi cooking breakfast, and after he winked at her, in an apron no less, she went to wake Naruto. He was actually just finishing putting his gear on, pulling his leather gloves on. He had put a makeshift storage seal on them with ration bars and water inside. It saved space, and if he needed emergency supplies they were there.

Kakashi was the one who applied the seal, though he had Naruto add the chakra. It had to work when Naruto wanted, not Kakashi.

Breakfast was simple but filling enough for the energy they would need. Today was going to be the day they started missions. Technically only Naruto and Kakashi, but Hinata would sneak along with them. It was time to put her skills to the test. Even so, they would only be getting D ranked for awhile. They had to finish a certain amount of those before they could go for the C ranked ones.

Kakashi _could _supply recommendation of his student and have him do some C rank, or even one B rank mission, but he wanted Naruto to have to go through the same pain- it was character building to do D rank. Yeah, that was it.

Once at the mission hall in the Hokage tower, Kakashi made Naruto stand near the door and wait while he selected a few good ones. Kakashi snorted to himself. _Right, like there are any good D rank missions…_

Naruto looked curious when Kakashi dumped at least five mission scrolls in his arms.

"Here. If you get all of them done, correctly, AND efficiently, I'll buy you _some, not a lot, _of ramen. Let's go."

Naruto's eyes lit up and he stowed four away, reading one and then switching to the next, and he finished reading all of them by the time they were outside again. Hinata, in her henge, joined them.

"So? What are we doing?" she asked pleasantly.

"Weeding a huge patch of land, wood cutting, cat chasing, babysitting, and grocery shopping."

Hinata nodded. "Alright. Are we allowed to split up?" she questioned, gaze set on Kakashi.

"Not really, but in this case we will have to work in groups. We can each do one mission solo and then work together for the remaining three." He reasoned.

"Alright. I pick shopping. I know what food is good and what isn't." she said quickly.

Kakashi nodded, approving. "Naruto?"

"Wood cutting, I suppose." He shrugged.

"Sure." Kakashi grinned and made a single shadow clone, mimicking Naruto's trademark move.

"Here Hinata, have some help."

"You technically need to watch over us, right?" she grinned when he nodded. "Alright. Fine by me."

Hinata shopped for food for herself and Naruto all the time, and this wasn't much different. It had items on the list that most people bought. They were food staples, things everyone needed or ate all the time. She picked fruit and bargained over choice cuts of meat. She made sure she didn't spend too much on the food, as she had a limited sum of money for the customer. She didn't want to go over. She also made sure to get good brands, but not pay a ridiculous price for things.

Kakashi watched her haggle and carry things carefully, picking only the best but getting a low enough price. He added the numbers in his head, keeping count of how much they had left. She was great at it. It must have been her innocent face, wide blue eyes, and smile that charmed people into lowering their price for her. By the time they were done, even he was surprised. She only used half of the amount they were given, and she had even gotten the freshest, warmest bread from the bakery they visited.

"Pick up the pace, Kakashi-sensei" she murmured, setting a brisk walk, carrying half of her purchases. She wanted to get the items there on time, and she only had a few more minutes.

–

Naruto was also doing well. The place he was working was a company, but they had a worker out sick for a week and they were falling behind. So they requested a strong-abled helper to fill in for as long as their friend was ill. He picked up the axes and saws, testing each one, and rejected all of them. He stunned all the workers by making his hands glow as he cut through the toughest barked trees. He made clones and helped lug trees around.

The trees were heavy, but armed with loads of chakra and an eager mind, he set to work cutting down, transporting, and then chopping it into smaller logs. All by himself, though at first he had to get directions on what he needed to do. The other workers, tired from doing this day in and day out, felt challenged by this small boy doing more than they were. So they picked up their pace, inspired by his willingness to get dirty and use his mind to work smart.

They didn't rush too much, however, because even they knew that if they messed up anything it would mean injury or even death. Even so, work was becoming fun again, talking with each other and accepting the runt doing the work of ten men single-handedly.

–

After two hours, the three ninjas met up again. Kakashi dismissed his clone as soon as he saw it, and waited a moment to process the information before speaking.

"Which mission next, you two?" he tilted his head.

Hinata considered for a moment. She wasn't too tired at the moment, her feet hurt, but she was betting Naruto was tired. Something that both of them could do easily...

"How about babysitting? We can weed after, and then chase the cat last." she offered.

"Sounds good to me." Naruto agreed.

Kakashi nodded slowly. It sounded like the best plan. They could bring the kids to a park or outside before it rained, and weeding was fine in the rain. The cat would probably hide out when it was raining, and they could capture it last, when the rain let up and it was cautious to walk on the wet land. Hinata was becoming a fine strategist, even if it was just small things.

"Move out!"

–

Hinata had heard most kids were brats, and that's why they had to hire Genin teams to watch their kids, but she didn't have too much trouble with them. They were respectful, courteous, and listened to every word she spoke. The twins even told her which one they were, marking each other with different colors. Their names were different, even though the two girls looked exactly the same. Their personalities were much different, too.

Hane was a sweet six year old, wanting to play simple games and taking joy in little things. She liked wearing a cute pink dress, complete with nice shoes. She kept herself clean and acted like a princess. Her twin was also six years old, obviously, but she was slightly tomboyish. She opted to wear green and brown camouflage pants and a tan shirt. She had a navy blue ribbon tied around her forehead like a ninja headband, and she had sandals on to match.

The girl's name was Kiri, and she was a loud, spitfire girl that knew exactly what she wanted to do when she was older. She was going to become a ninja, and her sister was going to become a medic ninja. They would from a team and become the greatest pair. Hinata had no doubt they would try.

They stayed in the same house, but each Genin took a different sister. Hinata took Kiri, easily mock fighting the girl and showing off. She taught Kiri how to prank her teachers and gave her tips on what to do. Naruto, surprisingly, took Hane under his wing and played tea party with her, dressed up and pretended to rescue her from a dragon (his clone henged) and even made cookies with her.

They all became friends, and it was obvious that they would tell their parents to request Naruto's team when they needed babysitting again. Kakashi told the team on the way out that the twins were known to sabotage every single team that walked through those doors, so it was amusing to see that they succeeded. Hinata grinned and shrugged, murmuring a 'thank Kami' that they bonded.

It was raining lightly when they made it to the next assignment, the large field. Both ninja knew which plants were crops and which plants were weeds, so they got to work quickly, plucking the weeds expertly and tossing them into a bucket. Once the bucket was full, they emptied it into a large wheelbarrow. Kakashi regularly emptied this, helping for once since the task was larger than two people alone.

–

It was just approaching sun-down when they finally finished their task. Naruto had to use clones, but even so it was hard work. The small team didn't mind the job that took so long, because to them it was keeping busy. They made small talk during the work, laughing and joking with each other. They all were familiar with each other, so it was easy to keep occupied and not get frustrated with the menial task. And they knew that it was important, as this was a big crop for Konoha.

The last mission they had was to catch the cat, and Kakashi was smirking under his mask. He himself had to catch this cat so many times when he was a Genin. How it had managed to survive this long was beyond him, but lo and behold, it was the same cat.

They had radios to use, and they spread out surrounding the area Tora was in. The she-cat was washing a paw, focused entirely on licking the mud off of her fur.

"Orange-kun, in position?"

"Hai."

"Purple-chan, in position?"

"Hai."

"Boss-san is also in position. Target unaware. Orange-san, go in for the kill."

"Hai!"

Naruto flew from his spot, lunging for the cat. This was their fifth attempt. Naruto had scratches all over any open skin. Repeated use of clones didn't work, because upon being clawed, they disappeared. Tora screeched and flailed around, trying to rid herself of the blond, but he held on this time, hungry, tired and sore.

Hinata finally entered the fray, eyes open wide. This was the longest Naruto had been able to hold on to the slippery cat. She crouched low, calculating eyes waiting for when the cat would run. And finally the demon-cat slipped away from Naruto, who was now twitching on the ground. Tora ran right into Hinata's arms, and instantly relaxed and started purring. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep, nestled up to Hinata's heartbeat.

"...Mission...success."

–

After returning Tora to her frightening owner, they collected their pay and went home to collapse. They didn't bother changing or showering, instead opting to fall asleep on top of their covers, fully clothed. Kakashi didn't even bother with his bed, taking the couch and stretching out, book open to read. He didn't do as much as the two kids, and he was looking forward to some downtime.

He giggled at a certain page and cuddled further into the couch to get comfortable.

–

Around three in the morning, when Kakashi had just fallen into a light sleep, book draped over his chest, arm hanging off the couch, a loud wailing sounded. He bolted up, eye wide with concern. He had a kunai in his hand instantly, searching with all his senses for the source of the sound. Immediately after the sound occurred, he also heard a dulled thump, and then footsteps. Ah, Hinata woke up.

She came out of the room, eyes wide. "Kakashi?"

He shook his head; it wasn't anything he did. He sniffed the air, because suddenly it had a sharp scent that was all too familiar to the Jonin. He swept into Hinata's room and opened the window, leaping out and latching onto the wall, running down and jumping once he was close enough. The smell was stronger now. His eyes adjusted to the minimal light and he spotted the source of the blood.

A small, white cat was drenched in its own blood, crimson liquid staining its fur. Her eyes were wide open, and her mouth was twitching, blood pooling from its open jaws. Hinata was close on Kakashi's heels, and her hands flew to her mouth, turning green. She turned to the side and threw up. He winced at the new smell but blocked it to move closer to the wounded animal.

A low growl sounded once he took a step. A large dog stood over his prey, and Kakashi easily scared it away with his own growl, forcing the sound of being alpha into his voice. The dog hesitated, but when he growled again it bolted. He moved to the cat again, this time noticing Hinata rushing to her first. She started trying to heal it, only one small jutsu under her belt. It helped a little, but she wasn't a very good medical ninja yet.

Kakashi strode forward and knelt, talking slowly to soothe both the cat and Hinata, whose breathing was speeding up. He had one or two stronger healing jutsus, and he applied one of them quickly, healing the wound and then casting the next one. The second one made blood cells multiply, a useful one for blood loss. It seemed to help, because the cats breathing steadied and she closed her eyes, falling asleep.

"Thank you" Hinata suddenly latched onto him, hugging tight. She would have hated to see the poor cat die.

"Ma, ma, it was nothing. Let's get her inside and we can fix her up more." He also hated to see animals die. He liked dogs more, but cats were innocent.

"O-okay." she let Kakashi pick the small creature up, bringing her inside. While Kakashi washed the cats fur and added a few bandages around the cats middle, Hinata made up a bed.

Hinata watched as Kakashi finally set the cat down into the makeshift bed, soft material mold around the cats shape so that it would sleep comfortably.

"There. She should be okay."

"Thank you," Hinata murmured again.

Kakashi grew uncomfortable. "Sure. Poor creature didn't deserve that." he stretched and glanced at Naruto's door. Soft snores could be head from behind the wooden barrier. Kid didn't even wake up. Some ninja he was.

Kakashi resumed his spot on the couch, adrenaline running out. He yawned and laid his head down on his hands, making a pillow. "Night, Hina-chan."

Hinata stared at the cat a little longer, then turned to him. "I'm not going to be able to sleep now..."

Kakashi cracked his visible eye open and sat up. "Hm. Alright. Come here then."

Hinata sat down on the couch with him, and he gave her a hug. "What's wrong?"

She was silent for a few minutes. Then, "I was too scared to do anything. It was only a poor cat, and even so I couldn't move. It's...it's embarrassing..."

Kakashi shook his head. "It's natural to freeze like that. You cared about the cat, but the sight of something so gory froze your mind. So you panicked. At least it wasn't out on the battle field. Right?"

Hinata reluctantly nodded. "I guess..."

"Besides, the cats fine. She will probably be up and running by tomorrow. We can even bring her to a vet. Kiba's mother can check on her if you really want."

Hinata gave a shaky smile. "Okay. Thank you."

Kakashi nodded. "No problem." It was hard to remember that these kids were only ten. Sure, he had grown up fast, but he also grew up during war. It was grow up or die. Now it was peaceful, and they were only kids, not battle hardened warriors. This was the first time she had seen something all bloody. Other than herself or Naruto, of course.

Kakashi shook himself out of his musings and noticed that Hinata had fallen asleep leaning on him. He grinned and carefully shifted so that they were laying down again. He closed his eye and drifted into a light sleep, wrapping his arms around her small frame to keep her warm.

–

Kakashi woke first, internal clock a few minutes before Hinata's. He slipped away like the ninja he was, not waking her up. Good. He started breakfast, whistling a tune while he made pancakes. After setting three plate-fulls down on the table, he began on lunch. Then he whistled sharply, eye curving up in a smile when he heard two thumps.

Hinata walked in first, rubbing her eyes and mumbling. "Sorry I fell asleep on the couch, Inu."

He froze. He hadn't heard her call him that in a long time. "It was fine. I moved to my bed. Did you sleep well?" he asked, placing some syrup on the table for her.

She nodded and sat down, eating slowly. Naruto came into the room, rubbing his backside. "Ow." he muttered.

"Morning!" Kakashi said happily, sitting down to eat.

"Ohh, food!" Naruto brightened and dug in as well.

–

Training was fun again. Tenten stopped by to continue working with them. It would take a few days, or even weeks, to perfect weapons. Different situations were played out, and all three Genin were eager to try as many as they could. Kakashi supervised, though once or twice he joined in, slowing his movements to their level. They enjoyed sparring with all sorts of weapons, and Tenten also learned, having to maneuver two younger Genin.

–

Kakashi crashed on the couch again, spreading out to read his orange book. Naruto was already snoring in his room, oddly loud for such a withdrawn person. Hinata had gone into her room, but soon she padded silently out, biting her lip.

"Can't sleep?" he shut his book, slipping it away.

She nodded. "I'm tired, but I know I'm not going to sleep..." She bent down to scoop Lyrica up. Then she plopped onto the couch in the empty space Kakashi made for her.

"Ah."

She leaned against the arm of the couch, gazing down into her lap, knees drawn close. The white cat curled up in the small space between her chest and her legs and started purring, prompting her to start petting her.

"Tell me a story?" She asked softly.

He looked surprised. "I can try...what do you want to hear?"

"How Naruto and I came to live here."

Kakashi nodded. "Alright."

He cleared his throat, pausing. He had no idea how to tell a story. So he guessed.

"Once upon a time, there were two young children. One was a boy, one a girl. They were the best of friends, relying on each other for everything. They loved life and everything it had to offer, but even so they were mistreated. Neither did nothing wrong, but still it earned them beatings."

Hinata was silent, nodding slowly.

"Every day, a spy watched them, making sure the two weren't hurt too badly. It was his job to keep them safe, but soon he felt connected to the two kids, wanting to protect them with all his heart. He didn't want them to even get looked at wrong. So, one night, he snuck into the orphanage they were staying in, collected things they would need, and hypnotized them with his special eye."

"He brought them to an abandoned apartment and gave them beds, food, water, and most importantly, love. He started training them in the ways of the ninja, so that someday they could find someone important to look after with all their strength."

"But-" Hinata looked confused.

"Hm?"

"Naruto and I planned our own escape. You didn't bring us here."

Kakashi chuckled. "I hypnotized you into thinking that. You two were four, you couldn't sneak around for anything. I didn't want you two to keep putting up with their shit, so I brought you here. New start."

Hinata was quiet for a little while.

"Well...thank you." she said quietly. Then she got up and went to bed, still holding Lyrica close to her.

–

Days soon started blending together, with their teamwork growing stronger each minute. Naruto and Hinata worked well together, and with Kakashi's guidance they would become unstoppable. Hinata, who had finally learned a few more medical jutsu (Kakashi's doing) started practicing on Lyrica. The cat loved Hinata, who was ever so gentle with her. The small creature was fiercely protective of the girl, and somehow worked her way into their team.

Lyrica learned how to help Hinata fight. She weaved through obstacles, was silent when she needed to be, and kept her claws sharpened. Once Kakashi started teaching the two how to work together, using his dogs as examples, Lyrica worked to increase her speed. It was oddly perfect, as the cat lent her assistance also as a pack mule. She allowed Hinata to make her a harness, which held a small pack on her body. It was light and had seals, but also room for items as they were needed.

This was how Hinata decided to keep her spare medical supplies, just in case her chakra was out and she needed bandages or something. The runt cat was perfect for that. She was young, fit, and was eager to please her female partner. The snowy feline also worked to get her strength up. She worked with Kakashi's dogs to get better in any way she could.

So Hinata had a new partner, and along with Naruto their team already seemed unbeatable. Kakashi was so proud of all the progress they made now that they had actual resources to train with.

Their pattern of work was easy to track. One day they would train their butts off. The next they would take a few missions, try to get at least five done by the end of the day. They worked their way up to a higher number, completing ten each mission day. Then they would go back to training. But they would focus on a different point of fighting each day.

They would work on taijutsu one day, including running, stamina, speed, and ability to dodge and hide. Stealth was also important. Another day would be chakra. Anything relating to chakra, whether it be jutsus, chakra control, or anything else they could think of. Another day included anything they wanted to work on. Mainly for Hinata would be medical things. Jutsu and using bandages, tape, and herbs. She started making her own, knowing enough about plants now that she could. Naruto focused on reading. Kakashi settled with researching Hinata's seal. He found multiple leads and continued working on following them.

Even another day would be weapon training. They had a deal with Gai; Tenten would be borrowed to have them spar with her as long as she learned something as well. Kakashi gave her three things to pick from each day, ranging from taijutsu training, a new weapon, even a jutsu scroll or two. Sometimes it was playing a game with Naruto and Hinata, called "Hide and Seek". They would take turns actually searching for the hiding ninjas. They could move around, but they couldn't use any form of jutsu, genjutsu, or putting the seeker to sleep. They also had to stay in the immediate area.

So team seven had a lot to do. They kept busy, working on many things at once. They were already good ninja, but they had potential to be amazing ninja. They were becoming well rounded people, too.

–

Hinata's chakra reserves grew over time, and when she used a jutsu for the first time since she started training to get it larger, she was surprised by how much chakra she still had left. She was so happy. She had just about perfect control by now, though she continued to keep up with her lessons just in case. Her reserves actually tripled with all the practice she did to enlarge it.

Naruto didn't know if he had more chakra, but his control didn't suck anymore. He could think of a number in his head and make that many shadow clones without wasting a drop of chakra. His biggest improvement was his sword work. He wasn't at Kakashi's level yet, but he was getting there. He was better at it than Hinata. He liked using a sword. He loved jutsu better, but swords were helpful when you didn't want something flashy, just a simple slash and someone was dead.

Kakashi enjoyed watching them grow. He felt like a parent to them, and it made him proud that they followed in his footsteps. Not all the time, of course, they strayed off his path a lot. They learned things on their own, picking up sticks and stones and building a foundation. It was a great experience.

–

It was four months after they picked up Lyrica that they got their first C-rank mission. Kakashi requested it quietly, having left Naruto at the door like normal. They had done over five hundred D-rank easily, and he felt the team could use something a little harder. He accepted the mission scroll and read it over. He nodded and turned around, gesturing for Naruto to follow him. He walked outside, not glancing over when Hinata joined them.

They all carried gear on them at all times, so they just went to the village gate. Kakashi explained the details along the way. It was a simple escort mission, nothing too difficult. The family wasn't super important, just a simple merchant family that brought wares into Konoha to make more money. They were heading back to Suna, but because they had a hard time getting through the sand the figured a small escort would make it easier.

They were a friendly group, two mothers and a daughter. The little girl was adopted, but she was intelligent and full of life. She was Naruto and Hinata's age, just about ten. Even though the two Genin were on the job, part of it was to keep the customer happy, and if it meant entertaining them as well, then who was to say chatting was wrong? Besides, they kept their senses alert.

They didn't have much trouble, though. Nothing too interesting happened along the way. It took a week to get there, and when they did the small family insisted on taking the group to dinner. Kakashi decided to take them up on that offer, enjoying a free meal. They signed the scroll they needed to and then let the team leave. But since it was nearing midnight, they chose to get a hotel instead of traveling while tired. Kakashi found a cheap one that was comfortable enough.

–

Hinata showered first, calling it the instant they got into their room. It had two beds and a couch, perfect for their needs. It also had a mini kitchen and a bathroom. Just like home. A little smaller, but eh.

The female loved being able to get all the sand from her body, and she finally turned the water off and got into pajamas, letting one of the boys take their turn. She slipped into a bed and cracked open a book on advanced medical chakra. Naruto went to bed next, forgoing the reading and just falling asleep right away.

Kakashi lounged on the couch, wondering if Hinata would continue their ritual of her crawling onto the couch and talking with him before falling asleep. He stayed cuddled with her, helping her sleep, until early morning, where he would slip away and either make breakfast or switch to a bed. She didn't, and though he didn't mind, it felt a little odd not to have his daughter-figure not come to him with sleeping problems.

–

Only half an hour into reading his book that night, Hinata woke up. She ripped her covers off and ran to Kakashi, hiding her face in his chest. Tears streamed out of her eyes and she was sobbing, trying to keep the scream back that had been rising in her chest.

Kakashi rubbed her back, pulling her close. He half sat up, trying to get them in an easier position to comfort her. She held onto him tighter, eyes closed.

"Shh. Shh. I'm here. Everything's fine. Shh.

Eventually she calmed down, only a few choked sobs escaping her lips. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to dry them. She kept biting her lip.

"Better now?" he asked softly, keeping quiet so not to wake Naruto.

She nodded a little, seemingly unsure.

"Well, I'm here if you need me."

Another nod.

"Would you like to sleep here?"

Another nod.

"Alright." he got up and pulled the blanket from her previous spot and slipped back onto the couch. He lay down and pulled her close, draping the blanket over them. Then he nestled his head in an empty space and closed his eyes, slowing his breathing and falling asleep. Hinata did the same, slower in fear of another nightmare but still succumbing to sleep.

–

They all ignored their internal wake up calls, sleeping in till nine. They woke up fresh and ready to go home, this time at their own pace, not a carriage full of food and weapons. Naruto somehow found a ramen stand and they ate a light breakfast there. Then they went to the sand village's gates, about to walk out, when they noticed a few kids running away from a red headed boy. He was looking down, fists clenched in either anger or sadness. They couldn't tell.

Naruto looked ready to leave, but Hinata pleaded Kakashi to let them talk to him. Just say hello and show someone cared. He agreed, but he felt something a little...off about that kid.

Hinata strode over to him, grinning widely. "Hello! What's your name?" She hoped her wide blue-henged eyes looked welcoming.

"What?" the boy looked startled. His voice trembled.

"I asked for your name" she said pleasantly.

"...Gaara." he said slowly.

"I'm Hinata! And this is Naruto. Our sensei is Kakashi." she supplied.

"Hello" he said, eyes narrowing at them.

"Were you playing with your friends, did we interrupt?" she put on a worried face.

"...No."

"Oh, alright. Cool! Hey, Gaara, how old are you? You look older than Naruto and I.."

"I'm twelve" he sounded suspicious.

"Oh. Naruto just turned ten. I'm almost ten years old." Hinata went on. "My birthday is in December. How about you?" she tilted her head.

The red head looked absolutely confused. He didn't respond, but Hinata didn't mind.

"Hey! You have a headband!" Hinata's grin widened. "You any good?"

Gaara collected some of his wits. "Yes. I can kill anyone."

Hinata was a little surprised, but she nodded. "That's awesome. You must be a top ninja, cool! Naruto and I are just starting. Kakashi is our sensei. He's really lazy. Woah!" she jumped back a little as a small trail of sand wound around her ankle.

"What's that?" Naruto asked, picking up the slack.

Gaara didn't answer, only turned away slightly, ready to leave. He would get in trouble if he killed them, because they were from Konoha. He would get sent out on a mission later if he wanted to taste blood.

"That's awesome!" Naruto shouted, staring at it. He was enraptured with it.

"What?" Gaara said, eyes widening in surprise. These people were weird.

"How do you do that? What else can it do?" The sand was still slithering around, moving like a snake, ready to strike.

"..." he didn't reply.

"Oh right, sorry." Naruto looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his head. "You probably shouldn't tell me about your secrets. Who knows if we might meet on the battle field..."

Gaara nodded sharply. Then he gazed at them a little longer.

"I will remember you, Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki." He disappeared in a swirl of sand.

–

"That was interesting." Kakashi noted on their way back home.

"Why? It was a ninja being picked on. Nothing exciting, just a poor child..."

"He is a special child" Kakashi said softly. "He's the Kazekage's youngest son."

"What? Then why isn't he praised and honored?"

"Because people are stupid." Naruto said firmly.

"You're right, sort of." Kakashi replied. "Gaara has had a tough past, just like you guys. But instead of working hard to get stronger for those you love, he's rejected it. There have been over one-hundred assassination attempts on his life since he was born."

Hinata wasn't as silent as Naruto. "How do you know this? He's from Suna, not Konoha.."

"I've been to Suna plenty of times." Kakashi said vaguely.

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine."

–

The trip home was faster than getting there. They knew each others limits, so when one wanted to take a break or needed more water, they stopped and shared what they had. They stayed close through the sandstorms by following the chakra they used to stay on top of the sand.

It took three days, but they really didn't speed all the way home. They wanted to be fresh so if they were needed they could instantly get to work.

Lyrica had come with them, but she had hidden inside Hinata's backpack, The white cat hated the sand, having to lick her fur clean every five seconds if she stayed on the female's shoulder.

By the time they got home, inside the village gates, and finished their report to the Hokage, the trio just wanted to go home and sleep. They collected their pay and congratulations for a successful mission.

Naruto was the first in the apartment, and he decided to be different and snatch the couch for himself. He set about to his light snore, and Hinata draped a blanket over him, yawning and heading to her room. She was followed by Kakashi, who settled himself behind her to wrap her in his warmth.

_– Break break break notes notes notes yay yay yay last paragraph above_

**Notes**: Horray a new chapter! It's been what, a year now? Haha...uhm not my fault? *brick'd anyways*

Well, I hope you like it. It's (I think) my longest chapter of this story so far. Roughly eighteen pages and 7k words. Though I'm including this note in that figure, but whatever. Haha.

Seriously though, you guys like this? I have like uhmm 76 favorites and 91 alerts? That's crazy. Woo! But only 49 reviews :( Please tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, questions, comments, and general ideas for the future. I have _plenty _of foreshadowing...

I would like to send a shoutout to whoever the heck reminded me that **Naruto and Hinata were four years old when they left the orphanage, therefore not capable of thinking of escaping, making a solid plan, and carrying it out. **I was dumb and forgot that they were only four. So I changed it around, hopefully this clears things up. The two were _hypnotized_ into thinking that's what happened. Kakashi can be a tricky one. ;D

SO in wrap up, enjoy the chapter that took three days to write. I stayed up late writing one night, so be happy for my efforts. I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible, now that I'm over my depression. Hazzah! I'm happy and all the time I get hugs. Makes me really happy to be alive. Peace out, until next time!

~Electrified by Evil


	6. Changes

Kakashi was proud of his two students. They worked hard and didn't make him regret taking two kids to teach. They trained like he did, almost, and missions were pulled off easily. They didn't complain about meaningless chores of D-rank missions – they actually understood what they were for. They saw underneath the underneath.

He had started by incorporating Tenten in their training, but now that they were proficient in what they chose to use, the furthered themselves and didn't need the older girl. So he turned to Gai's next student, Hyuuga Neji. It would be difficult when they got good enough against the boy that he had to use his Byakugan, but he would deal with that when the time presented itself.

"Good morning." the clan boy nodded stiffly to the group.

"Sup Neji?" Hinata bounced over, with Naruto not far behind.

"Are you Tenten's next tag-team member?" Naruto added, grin wide. A new training partner!

"Hai."

Kakashi set them to work, telling Neji to spar with them to get a hold of their abilities. He set the rules; nothing but taijutsu.

"Go!" He let his arm fall to his side and then jumped back.

Immediately Naruto moved forward, rushing at the Hyuuga. Hinata held back, curious about him. Neji blocked the first punch with a duck, and he spun and kicked the blond's legs out from under him. The blond's hand shot out and he flipped Neji over, dust flowing over both of them. They picked themselves up slowly and continued to spar.

Hinata was observing. She and Naruto were good fighters, but Neji was _graceful. _She wondered if it was a trait all Hyuuga's had. His eyes were the same as hers, but she had a henge on and looked like Naruto's twin sister. She was using a barely traceable henge, having mastered it to the point where it barely used chakra.

She decided to join in after a little bit, surprising Neji from behind when they pair spun, Naruto manipulating his position to let Hinata attack as well.

–

Neji liked this pair. They were different than fighting Lee or Tenten. He felt them holding back though. He wondered why. Maybe he could push them enough to make them go full out. He wouldn't improve much if they didn't try. He blocked a kick from Naruto, holding his foot, and spun him around to throw him into Hinata. Hinata was absent from her spot, though, and suddenly he was looking up, and then she was on his shoulders.

Her legs were wrapped around his neck, squeezing lightly, and she had his head held still. She could snap his neck from her vantage point, but maybe he could – he was halted from blasting her off with his hands when he noticed Naruto now holding his arms still, keeping a _very _firm hold on them.

"I concede." he said softly.

"Woo!" In less then a second, the pair was off him and dancing around.

He observed them, mind calculating how quickly they beat him. Maybe he hadn't been pushed to go as hard as he could, either.

"Round two?" he suggested.

The two lit up. "Sure!"

They faintly heard a "Go!" from off in the trees, where Kakashi had last been spotted heading.

Neji had been ready for them to charge again as soon as their sensei said go. But they didn't. Naruto started circling him, and Hinata just gazed at him with wide eyes.

He made the first move this time, surprising Naruto and getting his arm with his light touches. Naruto retaliated with a kick, but the damage was done and the blond was gaping at his useless arm as Neji backed away, turning quickly to head Hinata off. He allowed the punch to hit him, not expecting much, so that he could get in her defenseless spot and close some of her Tenjetsu. But when the hit landed, he staggered back, dizzy from the force. How were her punches just as strong as Lee's?

He narrowed his eyes and focused. They wouldn't beat him this time. He channeled chakra to his eyes and muttered, "Byakugan." The world changed to a black-white-blue world. Everything was chakra paths and lines now, not their colorful shapes. He was not ready for the two things he saw.

The first startling fact was the _enormous _amount of chakra the blond male had. Naruto was a mass of flowing color. Probably the brightest thing Neji had seen, really. He was mostly blue, but starting from the boy's main coils in his stomach the chakra bled into red. It flowed alongside the blue, and in some areas it blended into purple. But the main thing was that there was just so much. It seemed endless.

Hinata was also a strange one. Her chakra was different. It was the general color blue, but she had a different colors flowing through as well. The amount of chakra she had was a decent amount, but it wasn't nearly as startling as Naruto's. The main difference was the Hinata's chakra was an odd blend of colors. Her chakra was _rainbow._

–

Hinata paused the instant Neji shouted, "Stop!"

Naruto, however, was already about to slam into the boy, and he had too much momentum to even try slowing down. But Kakashi was on it, grabbing Naruto's wrist and tossing him away.

Neji whirled around, eyes still activated. He hadn't seen the man move, and suddenly he was there, and now Naruto was smashed into a tree. He deactivated his dojutsu and blinked at the sudden bursts of color.

"What the hell?" He demanded, too confused to speak properly.

Naruto groaned from his spot on the ground, slumping and trying to get his air back. He sat up and grinned at Neji. "What?"

Hinata pulled Naruto up and examined him quickly. The blond could take a beating, but it sounded bad. She didn't find anything wrong and he was still conscious so she released him and sat down. Neji was already sitting, too confused to do anything but sit and stare.

"...We can explain." Kakashi said shortly.

–

Neji sat back against his tree. They were eating lunch now, explanations going far longer than they thought.

"So let me wrap this up. Hinata has rainbow chakra. She also wears a henge for reasons I'm not allowed to know. And Naruto has so much chakra that it's more than the Kage's. Add that to the fact that he also has more than one color to his chakra and I still don't have any questions answered."

Kakashi sighed. "I can't tell you more than I have already. The two siblings have a bloodline limit. Naruto has massive amounts of chakra, and the red is his healing. It speeds up healing. Hinata's is that she has multiple colors." he would have to read into that more. Maybe it was partly the seals fault? "And that's all I can say."

Neji scowled. "What about the henge? Why does a leaf ninja need to henge in her own village?"

"The Hokage sees no need to make her stop, and if he's fine with it, then you don't need to be concerned. If you want to know more, as him."

Neji nodded slowly. "Fine.." he would have to, if he wanted answers. But he didn't want to ask the man when he was busy... He also didn't want to disgrace his clan. If the Hyuuga Clan Heir was snooping around, it wouldn't reflect well on them.

–

The trio watched as Neji left, giving a short wave to them before he disappeared. As he walked home to take a shower, he contemplated the situation. He mind was quickly sorting through possibilities, and each one was rejected as quickly as he thought of them. He finally took a break from that train of thought to think about when he got home. Hanabi would draw him a hot bath, and he could think more then. She could make him some of that peppermint tea he liked. Those thoughts completely derailed the Uzumaki situation. The rest of the way home he thought about his Branch House cousin preparing things for him.

–

Naruto and Hinata both had more energy, so they began to spar the instant Neji left. They went all out, restricting only killing techniques. Just about everything else goes. Naruto dodged a punch and then a leg sweep, only to be hit from behind. He grabbed onto the fist, ignoring the pain to swing around to toss Hinata to the ground. A puff of smoke revealed a log, and then he twisted around and caught another fist.

Hinata kept kicking and punching, throwing chakra into her hands like she felt Neji do before. Only once was it painful, but only because she used too much chakra and not enough control. She picked the style up quickly and soon was attempting to hit Naruto with her glowing hands. But he kept dodging or catching her fists. She ducked under a high kick and lunged into his open spot, chakra flashing as she finally landed a solid hit on his arm. He blinked rapidly, spinning and catching her legs out from under her.

She grunted and rolled them over, pinning his arms behind his head. He thrashed, finding himself stuck under her somehow. He didn't even know how he got there so fast. He was about to kick her off, but she was tightening her grip and shifting so that he couldn't move his legs. She was a crafty one. But he was too.

Naruto grinned at her, and she leaned further down, pushing his head further into the dirt. He just let out a rough chuckle and opened his mouth wider, circling her right arm and chomping down. His teeth sunk into her flesh and her eyes widened, almost comically. He let go as she stumbled back on her heels, holding her arm close to her body. A small fire wound around her arm, then spun closer to her skin, starting from the bite mark all the way to her shoulder.

Her henge fell and the flames bit into her arm, finally settling on a tattoo. Her eyes were dripping with tears, but she didn't scream. She stayed silent, trying to figure out what that was. Naruto was crouched next to her, holding her arm and apologizing over and over.

"I'm sorry! What did I do! I'm sorry!"

Kakashi was also there, hands glowing a light green, a diagnostic jutsu to see the damage. His Sharingan was active, gazing at her to see if he could figure out what was wrong.

Her chakra was indeed rainbow, as his jutsu picked them all apart. This new... thing... was like a flame spreading through her body. It seemed to feed on the chakra, depleting it faster then a rank A jutsu. He began to heal the burn mark on her arm, to try to reverse the process, but it just halted and began to convert the scorch into ink. It didn't settle on a color, mirroring her chakra colors by constantly shifting through the colors.

Hinata's lip was bleeding, as she was biting down hard, and her eyes were even wetter. She was holding back sobs, and her energy was dangerously low. She fought to keep awake, but soon her consciousness faded and she fell into black. Her chakra continued to be eaten by the odd fire, flowing smoother now through her bloodstream. It took two paths, one through her blood and changing her DNA. The second path was in her chakra coils, using the chakra to energize the changes.

Her body suddenly twitched, and then it was over. Her breathing slowed and evened out, her body stopped shaking, and her tears subsided. She was still asleep, though. Kakashi applied a henge on her, carefully, and picked her up. He would take her to the Hokage and request special medical attention. She seemed fine now, but whatever happened was worrying. The ink on her arm was still there, showing through her henge.

Naruto followed Kakashi's swift passage to the Hokage tower, not once complaining about the speed.

–

The Hokage seemed to know who she was, which surprised Naruto. He didn't question, however, that he knew that she was henged, he just wanted to make sure he didn't kill his sister.

"Naruto, relax. She's stable now, we will figure out what is going on. You didn't know that this would happen, it's not your fault." he said slowly.

The Hokage's own personal medic was looking after the small girl, with only himself and the two that brought her in. No one else would know of this girl masquerading as a blond Uzumaki.

Naruto just shrugged. "Still doesn't mean I want her to be hurt. I hope she's okay..." he bit his lip lightly, clenching and unclenching his fists nervously.

Sarutobi had no answer to that. So he stayed silent, watching over the girl with careful eyes. He loved the two children like they were his own, but if she was dangerous now, he had to do something about it. He couldn't be a grandfather today, he would have to be a Hokage. And that meant doing what would be best for the village as a whole.

"Naruto, get some rest. You will want to be awake when she wakes up in a few hours."

The blond sighed but nodded. It sounded like a suggestion, but he knew the Hokage had given him an order.

"Yes sir."

–

Naruto was resting in the chair next to her hospital bed when she woke up. He didn't notice, too deep in his own slumber.

"Woah..." she whispered, barely audible. She had an interesting sleep.

The Hokage seemed to pull out of the shadows of the room, making her jump a little.

"I apologize." he said softly. "I didn't mean to startle you. How are you feeling?"

"Powerful." she said quietly. It was true; she felt so _alive _with power.

"What kind of power..?" he asked carefully.

"I live only to protect and serve Konoha and her Hokage, sir." she replied just as carefully, her voice full of pride for her ninja village.

He nodded. "Does your mind feel... corrupted?"

"No. Well... I'm not sure. Who am I to tell if I'm corrupted? I would think I was normal..." she got lost in thought for a moment. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not corrupted."

"Did you dream?"

"You could say that." she tried to avoid.

"What did you dream?" he questioned, pulsing chakra into the privacy seals around the room. Not a word would get out of the room.

Hinata chose her words carefully. "I was visited by... something. It said it was neither gender, but I believe it to be female. Her voice was feminine. She looked like a woman. She felt motherly."

"Go on," he prompted.

"She called herself the Kyuubi. But she wasn't red like the pictures depict. She wasn't angry. She looked like an angel, all dressed in white."

"The Kyuubi was defeated," The Hokage said softly.

"But she said demons could not lie. Did history lie? Was the Kyuubi not killed? And why did she only have three tails?"

"Only three?" he asked, more alert now. Something was odd.

"Three." she confirmed, nodding slightly. "She looked human, though. Faintly human. She had white ears and the smoothest skin. Her tails swirled around her and she had a white dress on, and a white cape that somehow didn't get in the way of her tails. And...she had wings." Hinata looked wistful.

"Hinata, I am about to tell you something in complete confidence, since you now hold part of... it... inside you." Sarutobi looked entirely serious. "You are now under the protection of the law. It is an S-ranked secret punishable by death if revealed. Unless you wish to tell, of course."

"Okay" she said quietly, listening closely.

"The fourth Hokage knew he could not kill the Kyuubi. So instead he sealed it into something to make it a prisoner. The man had to have a baby, because only a newborn's chakra coils could adapt and handle the new chakra and not kill it. That baby was Uzumaki Naruto."

Her eyes were wide open. "Oh."

"And now, somehow part of the Kyuubi must be inside of you. You would not have that tattoo," he pointed, "otherwise. And your chakra is still multiplying. Your body is even a little different." he smiled, but it seemed more apologetic then happy.

She looked down at herself. Her hands were mostly the same, but her nails were longer, more lethal, more like claws. Her body temperature seemed higher, too, now that she was focused on changes. She looked behind her to see one fluffy white tail, waving slowly behind her. It was pure white with only a hint of color at the tip, which had been slowly changing. It settled on gold, and she willed it back to the light purple she had just seen. It changed and then she changed it back to gold.

"Woah."

"Indeed. Hinata... You also have new ears."

The girl reached up and found her ears, white and pointed slightly at the tips. They too were soft, but she couldn't tell what color they were.

"May I please have a mirror?" she asked politely.

He handed one over, pulling it from his lap. He had been seated in a chair for awhile now. She hadn't noticed.

"Thank you." she nodded at him and held it up to her face, tilting it at an angle so she could see the reflection.

Her ears were on top of her head, the same pure white as her tail. The tips were gold, but when she tested, they also changed. She noticed that her human ears were missing.

"Odd..." she murmured.

The Hokage nodded again. "Yes."

Hinata looked up at him, tearing her gaze away from the mirror.

"So what happens now?" she sounded fearful.

"You get a mind sweep to prove your loyalty and then you may go back to being a part of Kakashi's team. If you have any questions, come right to me. If I have a question for you, I shall summon you to my office. Don't hesitate to get help with anything."

"Yes sir." she said quietly.

"Now, replace your henge and bring Naruto home. You are being released from the hospital until tomorrow, when I will send a Genin to pick you up for your trial. I believe you will not run, so I insist you are comfortable in your own home."

Hinata nodded and slipped out of bed, taking a few minutes to adjust to her new changes. The Hokage left, giving her some privacy. She was amazed at how graceful she was now. Her mind was already used to the movements. Her vision was better, her feet were more silent, and her nose was stronger. Her ears could fine tune into things, and she faintly heard a bird calling from outside. She looked out the window, but nothing was there.

She finally picked up Naruto and went home, surprised but pleased at her new-found speed and agility. She set the blond down on the bed and then went to her own, laying down and going into a deep sleep, this time a planned one.

–

Hinata woke bright and early to go to her exam. She passed with flying colors, Ibiki and another man she knew as Ino's father. She was partly surprised herself, with something like Kyuubi she didn't know if she was too much changed to be a Leaf Ninja.

Hinata was now trying to figure out a way to communicate with her demon. All her meditation tricks did nothing and she grew more and more frustrated. So she gave up for the time being and went back home to Naruto. No doubt they would need to talk.

–

"Hinata!" Naruto grinned, being uncharacteristically loud. He hugged her before she could even step inside the door, and when she hugged back he pulled her inside.

"So, uhm, you're okay," he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I was worried..."

"I am," she confirmed, "but there is something we need to discuss..." she bit her lip.

"What?" he asked, quiet again.

She took a deep breath. "I share something with you. The Hokage told me I am allowed to share this with you." '_Into the mind this knowledge is now shared, but the heart stays the same.' _she murmured the last sentence quietly. If any ANBU were around, she would not be slaughtered for telling the blond.

"Naruto... I contain three tails' power, chakra, and soul of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

His eyes widened and he bit his lip. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently, telling her that he was on her side. "But..." his mind caught up fast.

"Yes?"

"The Kyuubi was defeated ten years ago. You're saying you have its power?"

"Yes. Ten years ago, the Kyuubi was too powerful to be killed. It would just be reborn again. So the Fourth Hokage defeated the fox by sealing all its power, chakra, into a child. But the child had to be a newborn, chakra coils not developed enough to be overtaken by the fox's attempts to escape."

"But-" he halted, lip quivering, and then continued, "my birthday is on October 10th..."

Hinata nodded. "Yes Naruto, you contain the Kyuubi, the nine-tailed demon fox." she shrugged. "Well...not anymore." she smiled at him.

"So... now you have part of it?" He was even more confused as ever.

"Yes. I hold the power to three tails of the Kyuubi's power." Hinata slid her new white cloak off and turned around, releasing her henge and showing him her new features.

Naruto gazed at her body, ears flat against her head, tail waving slowly behind her, low and nervous. Her hands looked more claw-like, maybe even a little larger – she would have an easier time holding swords now.

"What do they do?" he asked carefully. "And wait! Why are your chakra coils fine, how did you not burn up from containing part of the fox?" he asked, eyes wide.

Hinata blinked. "I'm not sure yet. The ears are better for hearing, my eyes have sharper vision, my body is faster and stronger, and my tail gives me balance. Other than that, not much else so far. And hm..good question. I'll add it to the list of questions I want to ask her when I can talk to her.."

"Her?" Naruto tilted his head.

Hinata blushed. "Ah, hai. My portion of the fox seems more...motherly."

"Huh. Okay." his smile grew wider. "I need to talk to my fox portion too. Maybe get some questions answered."

Hinata was suddenly struck by an idea. "What if we tried to do it together? Meditate and see if both parts need to be together to talk."

"Sounds like a plan." Naruto grinned and stood up, stretching. "To a more comfortable place?"

–

They moved to Naruto's bedroom, where a large bed was at the center of. They took their place laying down, and, with eyes closed, began to meditate. They fell into a light sleep and began their long interrogation of the Kyuubi.

–

Hinata was vaguely surprised that her idea worked. She had noticed Naruto the instant she opened her eyes, and was even more surprised to see the layout of their joint-mindscape. It was incredibly well made, yet at the same time it seemed wrong. It had two layers, mushed together to form one plane. Hinata's half was light colors, full of sunshine and grass and animals hopping around. It was odd, parallel to Naruto's half. The blond was knee deep in sewer water. The walls were covered in slime, and there were torches to combat the dark gloom.

Hinata offered a weak smile. Naruto just shrugged and closed his eyes. The torches burned brighter, but nothing else changed.

"Might be based on how much power we have?" she commented, smile widening at the sight of a pair of birds swirling around in an intricate dance.

"Yeah." he muttered, starting to trudge forwards. He got two steps before Hinata reached over and pulled him to walk with her, on the cool grass. He gave her a shaky grin and they continued on.

When they reached their destination, it was obvious both entities liked to be grand. The cage was the same on both sides, but the seal was now altered for both of them. Hinata tilted her head. There was nothing separating the two Kyuubi's, as they shared the same mind and chakra, so they shared a single cage. It extended up and across as far as the eye could see, and both Kyuubi forms stepped forward, as if in sync, to talk to their hosts.

"_Greetings_," Hinata's Kyuubi spoke first, her voice soft.

"Hello." Hinata bowed and so did Naruto, also murmuring a hello.

"**Welcome. You have questions for us." **Naruto's part of Kyuubi said this as a statement, not a question.

"_We have answers," _Hinata's portion said.

"Thank you." Hinata sat down, getting comfortable.

"First off, what do we call you?" Naruto asked softly.

"**I am Kyuubi."**

_"I am Kyu." _

"Alright. Thank you. Now onto important things." Hinata nodded at the two. "How did this happen, and why?"

"**I shall answer that one. Naruto bit you, injecting you with some of my chakra." **the great fox, about the size of an average fox, snarled a little. "**I was supposed to give you more, but the bite only allowed for three tails to pass through."**

"Alright..But why?"

"_Each tail represents a different emotion or factor. Your main tail, Hina-chan, is healing. The second is kindness, and the third, the strongest, is love."_

"**I needed to get those to you. Your body could handle them much better than Naruto. And this way, if Naruto needs to go full out, he may without me taking over and killing us both."**

"What are the other...virtues?" Hinata asked, tucking away the information in the back of her mind.

"**Naruto's tails are the following. Pure chakra, Anger, Power, Protection, Will, and Strength."**

"But... those are-!" Hinata cried out.

"_Yes. But they are necessary to become strong. If Naruto wishes to be a good ninja, a good Kitsune, he needs these to grow. Each tail comes with a new power of the Kitsune."_

"What kinds of powers?" Naruto tilted his head, accepting these as his fate.

"**Powerful things, my gifts." **Kyuubi spoke again. **"Pure chakra gives you just that. More chakra. Anger gives you the power to connect with others' anger and tap into a much deeper entity. Power gives you stronger limbs, makes you faster, with more agility and better senses. Protection...it gives you the ambition and with Will, the courage to serve and protect the ones you love. And Strength... it gives you the strength to carry out whatever you will."**

"_And that's not all...but we will get into those when we come to them. It will take a long time to master the tails. Besides, each one is a different color and element. Any more questions?"_

"Why me?" Hinata asked, trying to sort her thoughts.

"Remember what Neji said?" Naruto suddenly spoke up. "About your ch-"

"_Chakra, yes. It is special. It is rainbow, and not for any reason you think. Not fate, not changed, not because of your clan heritage. Well...partly that last one. Your clan dishonored you and put on a seal to watch over you. It altered your chakra makeup and it unlocked access to all the chakra types possible. But it also closed off some abilities."_

"You know what the seal does?" Hinata shot up, standing now, leaning heavily against the bars of the cage.

"**Yes." **the fox growled. "**We are not allowed to tell you that. This will help you learn, help you grow."**

"Okay..."

All was silent for a bit, the two foxes waiting patiently for the Genin to collect their thoughts.

"So what does the first tail signify for my powers?" Hinata asked suddenly.

"_It's healing, and it's the first tail." _Kyu began. "_So if you start to heal someone, your chakra usage will automatically double and it will become more effective. The chakra is pulled from me, so don't worry about if its going to drain your stores." _The fox demon nodded. "_It also enhances your senses, like I told you earlier."_

"Can you go into more detail, please?" Hinata bit her lip.

"**I can. Your chakra stores are probably double, maybe triple what they were before. You will have to relearn chakra control. Sorry. But you will also have greater speed, hearing, and sight. Your taste remains the same, though usually one food stands out to you most and you will crave that only. Be sure to keep plenty on hand." **

Hinata wished she could write this down. She had so many thoughts to organize, and even though they were in her head, it was confusing. All the the paradoxes or something like that would hurt her to think about it, a brain in a brain in a brain...?

"**Your hearing...it is sharper, so you will have to be careful around loud noises – they will hurt a lot more. High pitched noises, too. Dog whistles are now audible to you. Watch out for those. Sight... you can see everything more clearly. Also, you can see further away. That's helpful. Uhm." **He paused, thinking.

"**Oh right. Your speed has increased, your body lighter and bone structure stronger, but lighter. You will be able to make good use of this later. You will need to learn to eat a **_**lot **_**more later. Your body is tougher, and your healing abilities to your own body is like Naruto's now. And finally, your general strength is greater – you can probably crush a bolder with a single punch. Work up to it, though. Please."**

Hinata nodded. "Okay. Thank you." she bowed and changed her position, stretched out and leaning back to stare at the sky. The clouds floated past.

Naruto and Hinata asked a few more questions, and the two demons did their best to answer them. Eventually they slowed down, and then stopped for good. They ran out of questions until they could test things out.

Hinata had the upper hand – she already had a tail and ears. Naruto would have to work for it. And he had six to get, not just two more like the female ten-year-old. But Hinata didn't realize how much work she would have to do to earn her next two tails. It would take lots of hard work, sweat, and blood to achieve it. Naruto's first tail would be easy, but then it would get more difficult, working up to the sixth. He had to be able to control the chakra tail, and then when he could do that, he had to complete a task.

Whatever that might be, he would be ready. He was ready to be the best.

–

After the two kids slept, they had to wake up the next day and get ready for training. Hopefully their normal schedule would come back and they could train, take missions, and go back to training. Weird things happened, but they couldn't let that stop them. In fact, Hinata was somewhat pleased to have her knew abilities. She could be stronger. Strong enough to protect and heal her village. Strong enough to be Hokage.

Kakashi was waiting for them, grinning at Hinata's new uniform. She had to cut out a hole for her tail, and she wore a white cloak over it all. The hood was over her hair, hiding her ears. It also hid her tail. She was going to train half the day with it on, then the other half with it off. She had to be used to both ways.

Naruto and Hinata had a quick spar, and Hinata overpowered him easier then she ever did before. She took the Kyuubi's advice and started working on chakra control, because hers was shot to hell. She had plenty of chakra now, almost equal to Naruto's, discounting the red chakra, but the control was lost. She could barely make it up a tree, and she guessed that her control on the water was nonexistent.

She made shadow clones, calling up ten instead of the three she wanted. She was surprised, but then she grinned and had them separate into different groups. Five would work on trees, two on water, and the rest with leaves and small rocks.

The leaf exercise she knew involved cutting a leaf in half with chakra. It had to be perfect. Then, after that, keep them stuck to your body without having them fall off or burn up. Then, you had to draw a picture on the leaf. That was total mastery. Or what she knew, so far.

The rock exercise was slightly different. You found an odd looking rock, then used chakra to shape it into a perfect oval. Then a sphere, then any other shape you could think of. Cubes were easy, but decagons were crazy. The mastery she almost got to before the increase of chakra stores was to take multiple rocks and fuse them together to create a large scale shape. It could be anything, and she had been perfecting the heart before she was sent back to step one.

Hinata didn't mind being sent back to the beginner level. If she could do it once, she could do it again. Besides, she loved training. She put full effort into her work, and she focused entirely on that. They had focused on training like crazy before, but at least she went food shopping, repaired clothes, cooked, and cleaned. Now, she threw herself into it and forgot about everything that didn't include training, eating, sleeping, and breathing.

Kakashi, who had been a little worried when Hinata began pushing herself past her limits each day, turned his attention to Naruto, whom he had a new idea for a weapon. He thought Hinata might like it, but she seemed too intent on chakra control, speed, and strength. So he showed Naruto.

"What the hell is it?" Naruto looked so confused, but Kakashi just grinned beneath his mask.

"It's a weapon. Probably had a name. I don't seem to remember right now."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Of course."

"Yep! So get learning."

Naruto took careful hold of the hunk of metal, trying to figure out where to hold it so he didn't cut himself. He found, shocked, that the outer edge that looked so sharp was fitted to have a hand hold. He swung it around experimentally, grinning when he almost threw it. It was so much like a giant Frisbee. The center was open, but it was about the length of his hand wide. The silver metal was shined to sparkle and get in the enemies eyes. It might also blind the user, but with practice, it wouldn't.

Naruto had fun swinging it around, hitting trees and rocks, cutting into things with the sharper edge of it. Kakashi watched carefully, grinning when Naruto accidentally tossed it. The boy raced after it, grabbing it by the hand hold. He stood there, shocked.

"It's supposed to do that." Kakashi said, amused. "If it is used to your chakra and energy, it will return to your hand to not cut you."

"COOL!"

–

Hinata had mastered the tree walking by the end of the day, pleased with herself. She had used clones, and they had drained her, but she figured that helped her more. The less chakra she had to work with, the more normal it was for her to work with. And the memories of her clones had helped too. They really were helpful. Before her Kitsune-ness, she could only make three before they drained her too much. Now, with the additions of Kyu's chakra, she could actually make thirty before needing to halt.

–

Before long, Kakashi had to intervene. Naruto knew when to stop, but so far, the entire month, Hinata continued to train and ignore everything else. She barely slept, and she kept a constant stash of ration bars on her person. She even made a seal for more space in her bags, and she filled them with the bars so she didn't have to eat much – just wolf down a few of those and she was good to go.

But he knew she was going to hurt herself in the long run. Her body needed real food, real meat and real water, not chakra pills and water pills. She was going to crash soon, and crash hard. Kyu had also noticed this, but her words of advice were pushed aside for more focus on her tasks.

Hinata didn't take a single day off, and she forgot about the seal on her stomach. Kakashi thought he figured it out, but he didn't want to tell her right now. She needed to be in perfect health for that to happen. And right now, her muscles were deteriorating, her mind worn. She slept for a skant three hours each night, slipping out to train at the early hour of three and going to bed at midnight.

They had to do something.

–

Kakashi waited while she was hurriedly scribbling something down, slapping the note on the kitchen table before spinning on her heel to head out the door. He waited for her to stride across the floor, steps silent and body poised for silence. She would make a great assassin. He shook off that thought and grabbed her arm, pulling her around and capturing her other arm as well. His knee was pressed into the back of her own, pushing her to the ground. He wrapped her arms behind her head and held into them with one hand. He used some normal rope to tie her hands above her head, and then did the same with her legs.

"Now, this is a ninja intervention." he said quietly, as to not wake Naruto up.

"What?" she snarled, struggling in her bonds. "Let me go! I need to train!"

"No. You don't. You need to sleep, eat something, and then take the day off."

"No!"

"That's an order, or am I going to have to write you up for insubordination?"

"I- no, but-"

"Then get your ass back in that bed, and if you leave it before ten am, you will be forcibly knocked out. Got that?"

"H-hai, Inu."

–

After tossing her into her bed and plopping down in a chair to watch over her, he thought. She had called him Inu. It had been years since that had happened. It seemed like forever. It brought up memories. Unwanted ones, too.

_His ANBU team was returning from a tiring mission when they were ambushed. He sensed them an instant too late, and he whirled around to fight, but one of his teammates was down, bleeding onto the clean grass. He shouted for an attack, but before he got more out, he slashed and hacked through two enemies._

_The medic ninja on the team was suddenly before him, her larger body hunched over. She had a sword through her gut, and she grinned weakly at him, her mask already broken off minutes before. She coughed blood onto his face, and his eyes widened as she slowly leaned forwards, placing a light kiss on his forehead before ripping the sword out of her body and shoving it into the ninja that killed her._

_"Goodbye...Inu-kun."_

Another memory, this one faster.

_His team was doing another tough mission, though this time they were the ones ambushing. Kakashi turned to help his team, flicking his sword to clean the blood off. A piercing scream hit his ears, chilling him to the bone._

"_INU!" _

_His second in command called for him, but too late. He had whipped off his mask and headband, whirling around the ninjas and slaughtering them in moments. Still, too late. He was always too late. The man who served under him for two years died, his ANBU name the last word on his lips. He closed the man's eyes and heaved the corpse over his shoulder, carrying him home._

_His vision had been blurred from tears, and when he made it back, he was out of chakra, muddy, and barely recognizable._

Another one.

_The mission was over, and no one had died. He went to a bar, drank himself into a coma, and woke up next to a curvacious woman. They were both naked, and he felt his face. His mask was gone. He sat up, pulling the blanket around him. Shit, what happened? There were two more ladies curled on the end of the bed, and he slipped out of the bed, dressing in seconds._

_He froze as a woman, still asleep, murmured, "Oh, yes! Yes, Inu! Yes!" _

_He had revealed his face AND his ANBU identity. Double shit. Kakashi bit his lip, not wanting to take more lives. But he had to. They could tell. He drew out a kunai and slashed their throats, keeping a hand over their mouths as they died. He cleaned everything of himself and then left, rubbing at his eyes to keep from crying._

And finally...

_Hinata was only five. She had been chased, beaten, and almost raped. He had gotten there in time to stop the last one, though he wished she didn't even have to be chased. He brought her home and healed her, cleaning her up while she was unconscious. He was just putting her to bed when she murmured something. He froze, not even daring to think, to breathe, while she repeated her phrase over and over. She probably didn't even realize what she was saying. Or she was asleep. Her even breathing suggested the latter._

"_Thank you, Inu. Thank you, Inu. Thank you, Inu..."_

He watched her blankly now, finding at least a little happiness in knowing she was sleeping. She had passed out the instant she touched the bed. He leaned back in his chair, mask soaking up the tears he shed.

–

When Hinata woke up, she was horrified to find out she slept for thirty-six hours. It was afternoon, but her shades were drawn in so the sun didn't wake her. She found the ropes missing, and the chair she knew Kakashi had to have been sitting in empty. Hinata got out of bed, yawning, and went to the kitchen.

"Afternoon, sleepy head!" Kakashi waved a spatula at her.

"Why did you let me sleep that long?" she demanded.

He turned to face her, speaking seriously now, "You were hurting yourself. Little sleep, no real food, training non-stop. It had to be ended. You need to take care of yourself, young lady!"

She blinked rapidly, eyes wide. "Uh."

"Right, so here's breakfast!" he served her something that didn't even require him to use a spatula, making her question why he had been waving it at her in the first place. But she didn't question. She had learned not to.

"Okay..." she sat down, itching to run out the door and train.

"Eat up!" he joined her, eating slowly but still not revealing his face somehow.

She ate, and then he instructed her to take a good, long shower. Maybe even a bath, if she wanted. She had the day off, and she could use the relaxation...

–

Four hours later, she emerged from the bathroom, relaxed and rejuvenated. Along with the bath, Kyu had finally gotten through to her and Hinata finally saw what she had been doing. She had been mistreating her body, and if Kakashi hadn't stopped her, she could have been seriously injured. Plus...those ration bars tasted horrible! She wondered what her special food would be. She hoped it wouldn't be meat, because while it was delicious, she would have a hard time carrying around and cooking that much meat.

She decided to go shopping, restock the house and maybe figure out her special food. She replaced her henge and put on her cloak, just to make sure her features were hidden. The tail and ears were hidden under the henge, but she didn't want to risk it. She brought her shopping bags, the two cotton bags that were well worn from multiple shopping trips.

–

She went to the center for canned goods first. Those were the heaviest, and needed to go in the bottom of the bags. She also found out what her food was. Well, it was more like a snack. She only had to see it to know that it was destined to be hers. She basically cleared out the pocky section, getting all the flavors they had in stock. She bought everything she needed and stuffed the pocky in her bottomless bag of not-ration-bars-anymore.

The next stop was the open market for rice, vegetables, fruit and meat. She even picked up a loaf of bread. She haggled with the best of them, getting the lowest prices for the best items. She picked up easily where she left off, getting right back on her throne as the queen haggler. She brought the food home, putting it away carefully.

Her next order of business was to eat a few boxes of pocky, telling Kakashi to pick some more up when he had the time. She told him to ask around to find it, informing that the place she cleared out was, well, cleared out. For today, at least.

–

Hinata went to bed around ten, with Kakashi and Naruto. She woke up at three, on a mental alarm, but she forced herself to go back to sleep. Kakashi ended up having to wake her, but she didn't mind. She was going to be better, she was going to work more at taking care of herself.

They trained, but took multiple breaks. Hinata had an easier time with it, and found herself enjoying it more than she did before. Both Naruto and Kakashi were relieved to see her smiling. After lunch, Kakashi had Naruto send a shadow clone to find Gai's team, hoping Neji would spar with them again today. He had learned some things about them, but he was a good sparring partner, and they they needed to know how to fight anyone.

He was lucky, and unlucky at the same time. Neji showed up to spar, but so did his entire team. Kakashi groaned when Gai swooped in, stopping in front of the trio in his 'good guy' pose. He nodded at the man and waited for him to speak. He didn't have to wait long.

"My eternal rival! Such a glorious day, no? Your students look very youthful today! I suggested to my students that we ALL come spar and train! It will give us all something different to work with!"

Kakashi looked up at him from his book. "Did you say something, Gai?"

Neji and Tenten rolled their eyes at Gai's bawling and ranting about how 'hip' Kakashi was, and Lee gave him encouragement from the sidelines. Hinata just stared, while Naruto was laughing silently.

Finally Hinata spoke up, halting Gai's debate with Kakashi about challenges. "Ah, excuse me, Gai-san, but would you like to start teaching us for today? You seem to have a different specialty than Kakashi-sensei does."

Gai perked up. "Why, yes, young shinobi! Perhaps I can teach you about the flames of-" he was cut off by Kakashi.

"Gai, just show them your speed, or show off with Lee." He sounded bored.

Gai was startled, but he turned to Lee, his shorter carbon copy. The spandex wearing duo did show off, clashing together at unimaginable speeds. Naruto seemed interested, but Hinata seemed to be more engaged in watching the two go at it. The show didn't last long, as they decided to see if the two new Genin would be willing to learn this challenging speed.

By doing this, they had Lee race against Hinata and Naruto. They made it one non-cheating lap around the village. Kakashi and Gai would supervise, and of course the younger ninjas didn't want to cheat if it would determine their speed.

Neji and Tenten were training together during this, doing some light warm ups and then getting into a spar and then random things to better themselves.

Lee shot off, running backwards at first to gauge their overall speed. He was running so fast that he was a green blur, but Naruto and Hinata were keeping up. In fact, Hinata was inching ahead of him. She grinned at him and used to fingers to touch her forehead and salute him. Then she was off, speeding up even more. She wasn't using chakra, just pure muscle and energy. She had worked up her speed ten-fold since she started training with the enhancements.

Naruto didn't mind that he wasn't up to par with the two. He knew his limits, and he opted to continue at his own pace, which was still admirable anyways. He lost sight of Hinata shortly, and then Lee when he turned and seemed to burst forward with energy, fists tight, arms pumping close to his body.

Hinata nodded at Lee when he caught up with her. She grinned when he nodded back.

"Halfway done." she yelled.

"Indeed! You are very youthful and vibrant!"

"Thank you! But I have to get going now!" she responded, ignoring the fact that they were still blowing through the village in a race at breakneck speeds.

He just looked eager to hear that, not confused like she'd hoped. She took off, running faster, and he paused for a moment to fiddle with his legs. She didn't care, just kept running, but suddenly he was in front of her, literally running circles around her while still moving forwards. Her jaw dropped – he was as fast as Gai had been.

"Wha-?"

"Leg weights!" he beamed. Then he was gone.

–

Lee was the winner, surprisingly with Hinata right on his heels. She had been determined to win, or at the least come in a close second. However, she used lots of chakra, and her breath was gone. Lee wasn't even breathing hard or sweating. Naruto came in a few minutes later. He was smiling pleasantly, saying he would like some more speed training.

Hinata was allowed a few minutes to rest while Lee excitedly talked to Naruto about training with him. Lee did multiple laps every morning right after he woke up, and Naruto seemed to want to do the same – or at least try. He was willing to work hard to get what he wanted. Hinata just listened and watched, sipping water and waiting for her chakra to replentish even a little bit. She had almost burnt herself out, she had to use most of her stores from Kyu to get her speed just behind Lee's.

Eventually she felt better, and she had to remind Lee that he had dropped his weights somewhere. He let out an unintelligible cry and disappeared not a second later. He obviously had to go fetch them. His sensei, Gai, followed suit, yelling something about being proud.

Neji just rubbed his forehead with his fingers, looking stressed. Tenten just shook her head, sighing.

"Well…" Kakashi looked uncomfortable, most likely Gai's fault. "We might as well have you guys spar. No sense in wasting time. Neji, you match up with Naruto, Tenten with Hinata. Everything goes except killing blows. Just incapacitate."

They all nodded, and Naruto immediately set upon Neji, surprising him with his quick start. Neji blocked a punch and a leg sweep, and he smirked as he poked the blond a few times in the arm. Naruto ignored the useless limb and continued to be on the offensive, ducking when he needed to.

Hinata took the slightly slower approach, standing and waiting for her opponent to start. She didn't have to wait long, as Tenten rushed in with a weapon, twirling a kunai on a finger while aiming a fistful of throwing stars. The weapons missed, and Hinata was behind the other girl, but then Tenten was blocking a punch with her kunai, digging into Hinata's open palm. Hinata winced but she just yanked back, curling her hand in to pull Tenten forwards.

Tenten released her weapon, but Hinata had already done what she needed, and the 'blond' kicked Tenten's legs out from under her, gasping when Tenten hit the ground, rolling into Hinata, knocking her over and righting herself. Tenten wasted no time in throwing her kunai at Hinata's head, but Hinata poofed into smoke, and Tenten twirled again, summoning a bo staff while she searched for the other Genin.

Naruto was lying on the ground, panting, and Neji was stalking towards him, ready to have Kakashi call the match, but Naruto just grinned at him and stopped his flow of chakra for an instant, then let it burst out and open his closed tenketsu points. Neji halted and his feet brought him backwards, and he reactivated his eyes as the blond rushed in again, body working just fine. The blond had a look of pain when he reopened them, but now his face was back to normal, eyes bright and grin plastered on.

Naruto threw his body against Neji's, and he caught it, wondering what the blond was up to. Naruto seemed to allow himself to be…Neji's eyes closed and his dojutsu deactivated with the force of the blow to his head. Naruto had headbutted him, and his vision was swimming. Not something he liked. His ears worked just fine, though, and he used his fingers to poke Naruto's stomach, sending him crashing back.

Tenten was swarmed by a half dozen Hinata's, and she easily batted them away with her staff. She knocked one over the head, one through the stomach, and the rest with a wide swing. She knew they were a distracting, but she hadn't known what for. She soon found out. Hinata came in overhead, slamming down with tons of force. Tenten had time enough to shift her body so that her staff would whack the incoming attacker.

When the two separated, Tenten was holding her arm, fearing it was broken, and Hinata her head. Her hearing was a little messed up – her ear had been hit hard with the wooden staff. Tenten grinned and shook her head. She was done. Hinata flopped to the ground.

"Tie?" she offered.

Tenten nodded happily and Hinata waved her over. "I'll heal you." She hoped she could. Kyu's chakra wasn't like Naruto's, it wasn't as potently demonic.

Her hands glowed faintly with white chakra, and she surprised herself by fixing Tenten's arm almost instantly. She hadn't even tried to do anything, just concentrated a large amount of chakra to the wound. Tenten's eyes were wide, feeling overwhelmed with the chakra. She felt it tingling in her now fixed arm, and it felt stronger then ever. The chakra burned through her body, continuing on and fixing all her aches and pains.

Hinata grinned at her again and leaned back, falling against the grass. Her gaze wandered the sky, searching for clouds to watch. She found none, so she closed her eyes.

Naruto charged Neji again, thankful that the other male hadn't activated his Byakugan yet. The clone got close enough to hit, but when Neji's hand flew to grab the blond, he had to halt and throw a shoddy kick. Neji just smirked and spun on his heel, tossing the blond away. When he hit a tree his disappeared into a small puff of smoke. Neji realized his mistake too late and he activated his eyes just in time to get pulled underground, Naruto emerging from a hole next to him.

Naruto was taking deep breaths. "Still don't know how to get air down there."

Neji would have face palmed if he could. He was defeated by that?

**Notes Notes Notes Notes Notes Notes Notes Notes**

**So here is the next installment of your favorite fanfiction! …or not? xD Either way, here it is.**

**Hope you like it. I debated for days on the changes I made. Questions may be asked, but I'm hoping to use the next chapter to clear things up for you guys. By all means, review and tell me what you like, hate, want, wish to change, wish to improve on… Anything. Even just a smile or a frown. Haha.**

**If you find anything wrong, like spelling, grammar, PLEASE TELL ME. I dislike checking over my own work because I cannot find things like that, since I wrote it and I already know what it looks like – I automatically skim.**

**I can take flames. Hell, they're funny. I just like reviews. I got more favorites and alerts to this story, but I would love more than anything if you just review. Its what made me get this chapter out so quickly, so…**

**I'm pretty sure I'm done my rant now. Hah. Enjoy, and I'll see you next time! Love you all,**

**~Electrified by Evil**


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